Early in September, now-deleted Reddit user @hamilton390 posted alleged proof of member Ned Fulmer and employee, Alex Herring, in a romantic embrace at a Harry Styles concert. People swarmed to Twitter to air suspicions, crack jokes, and even speculate that the entire ordeal is a publicity stunt. Many were disheartened to hear of the controversy, as Fulmer had built his persona around being a “wife guy.”
In an Instagram post made by the official Try Guys account, they confirmed the rumors circulating that Fulmer had cheated on his wife, Ariel. Not only were the rumors verified, but the remaining Try Guys announced Fulmer would no longer be working with the company. At this time, Fulmer also released a statement via Instagram post that he “had a consensual workplace relationship” and apologized for any pain caused by his actions.
The Try Guys is an entertainment company that shares a majority of their content through their YouTube account. 2nd Try LLC was officially founded by members Zach Kornfeld, Eugene Lee Yang, Keith Habersberg, and Ned Fulmer in 2018. They were able to create a brand of happy-go-lucky guys who try new and obscure experiences, such as making puppets without instructions and stand-up comedy.
UVU Student Braxtyn Birrell is a long-time fan of the Try Guys. “I think the reason this is such a big deal to fans is because what a lot of people like so much about the Try Guys is that they’ve seemed so unproblematic and trustworthy up until this point,” says Birrell. “Ned’s infidelity so strongly went against those values that have kept their fans with them.”
Birrell is not the only fan frustrated by the acts of Ned Fulmer. In a tweet, a fan expressed their displeasure by saying, “Ned Fulmer from the try guys cheating on his wife after his entire personality for years was loving his wife is the exact reason I do not trust men.”
In a YouTube video titled “what happened” The Try Guys detailed the timeline of the scandal and the ultimate removal of Fulmer as manager and employee from the company. They briefly go over the next steps for the company and issue an apology to their team of employees and dedicated fans.
Just five days after the release of The Try Guys video, Saturday Night Live released a parody skit. Even with this widely accepted view of SNL, fans of The Try Guys were upset by the video. In response to the sketch, Twitter user @ChrisMDelRey says, “There were so many other ways they could have parodied this, but they went for making the victims the punchline while downplaying workplace harassment. That’s [a] pretty tasteless comedy.” The official SNL team has not yet responded to the negative reception of the sketch.
The public reaction to the controversy along with the ultimate career end of Ned Fulmer has opened many questions about why people care about influencers. Parasocial relationships have become increasingly apparent since the rise of YouTube vloggers and content creators. The Try Guys themselves talk about the implications of such relationships.
