Former SMOSH member and popular YouTuber Anthony Padilla has broken his silence on the sudden shutdown of SMOSH’s parent company, Defy Media.
According to Padilla, Defy Media shut down without any notice, leaving a reported number of nearly 400 employees without job security.
Padilla took issue with the company’s sudden collapse, expressing sympathy for his friends that worked there.
“They screwed over my friends today, and I feel like I can’t keep faking like I’m totally cool with Defy Media as I’ve done for so long,” he admitted. He even claimed that he had ‘beat around the bush’ in his original ‘Why I left SMOSH’ video in order to protect his friends from potential consequences.
According to a statement from the company, released on Tuesday, November 6, the shutdown was due to unspecified ‘market conditions’ – which Padilla didn’t understand.
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Padilla also explained that he and comedy partner Ian Hecox had only received a ‘fraction’ of profit from SMOSH after selling the business to Defy Media, and felt that they had ultimately been taken advantage of.
“I have no idea where all that money went that the company was making,” Padilla claimed.
An important message: pic.twitter.com/qMlXrI2v2O
— Ian Hecox (@SmoshIan) November 7, 2018
He likewise alleged that the company had attempted to take his personal Twitter account, prohibited him from joining the Screen Actors Guild despite acting in multiple movies with the org, and even took ownership of his public Facebook page.
Hecox also came out with a statement on the issue, assuring fans that SMOSH is not canceled. Instead, Hecox is looking for a new home for the internet show, which he hopes to share with viewers ‘soon.’