Most of us have grown up watching YouTubers, taking after their humor from the likes of Shane Dawson, their beauty sense from James Charles, or adventurous spirit from the Paul brothers. These names should ring a bell, and if they do, you might be revolted. Once beloved stars, these four men have all been bashed by the internet due to exposure of heinous, immoral acts. Another name is being added to this list of degenerates – Ned Fulmer. A 35-year-old man with a wife and two kids was a producer of the reigning YouTube channel, the “Try Guys”. The key word here is “was”.

After building up this persona of a doting father and husband, it was discovered by fans that he was having an affair on Labor Day weekend with an Associate Producer for the channel. She, too, was committed to a partner – for 11 years. When confronted, Fulmer told friends and family it has been going on for well over a year. The most hilarious part of this is the fact they were caught at a Harry Styles concert. If the song “Two Ghosts”, a hauntingly beautiful melody of past lovers growing apart, played while this happened, that would be terribly ironic. Ariel Fulmer, his wife, made a mature statement on the matter, “nothing is more important to me and Ned than our family, and all that we request right now is that you respect our privacy for the sake of the kids”.

Fulmer’s own statement was, “family should always have been my priority, but I lost focus and had a consensual work relationship”. Not only does it sound like a P.R team wrote this up, it’s undoubtedly disrespectful and does not sound remorseful in the slightest. The least he could do was make his affair consensual. I would hope it was consensual. How far below the bare minimum do we have to be to clarify that it was consensual? Had he never been exposed of the affair, he wouldn’t have made a public announcement apologizing for it. This is all just to save face – and disgustingly so.

“Losing focus” means being distracted momentarily and making an error. Cheating, having an affair, betraying the trust of your wife and kids for over a year – that is not losing focus. That is someone living a lie, with no care in the world how those around them are impacted. Imagine his kids, now having to grow up in a broken household. His wife, who’s heart is now shattered.

He threw his whole life away, and for what? Because he was lusting over a girl 10 years his junior? Not only did his actions rip his family apart, it tore apart a dedicated friend group and business collaboration. The three others from the Try Guys have announced that Fulmer was dutifully fired on Sept. 27, 2022 not only due to inappropriate conduct with a subordinate, but also for hurting their trust.

Trust is a fragile thing, and it is sometimes never earned back. Ned Fulmer is just another example of why we should quit idolizing people we have never met. Influencers post whatever will deem a positive light for their name, but behind the camera they are leading a different life. We don’t truly understand their morals, intentions, past, or their future desires – we don’t know them.