YouTube stars Ethan and Grayson Dolan released a feature-length documentary on the passing of their late father on February 17 — but they weren’t expecting the video go to viral.
The Dolan Twins, as they are popularly known, announced in January 2019 that their father, Sean Dolan, had passed away after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer.
This led to an outpouring of support for the young internet stars, who, at 20 years old, were largely supported by their father in their endeavors to become top content creators.
In 2019 my Dad lost his fight with cancer. He loved helping people more than anything. So, Ethan and I have created #LoveFromSean a foundation where all proceeds go to his favorite cancer orgs. This is what he would’ve wanted.
Your donations mean so muchhttps://t.co/bEPqV9dDev pic.twitter.com/qTEB7lHEi8
— Grayson Dolan (@GraysonDolan) February 17, 2020
After taking a step back from YouTube, the duo returned in February 2020 with an emotional documentary on their father’s struggle against cancer, alongside a fundraiser for cancer prevention.
Thus far, the Dolan Twins’ efforts have raised over $100,000, and their video has even risen to the top of YouTube’s trending page in second place — a response that has “overwhelmed” them, as told by Grayson in a soul-bearing tweet mere hours later.
“Not gonna lie, I’m pretty overwhelmed by the amount of love we’ve received today,” he wrote. “Thank you to my friends, my family, you guys, and one of my biggest idols for the support you’ve shown today. Forever grateful.”
Grayson’s words accompanied a series of photos of the teary-eyed star, unable to stop the tears from flowing as his brother Ethan posed in the background.
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Not gonna lie I’m pretty overwhelmed by the amount of love we’ve received today. Thank you to my friends, my family, you guys, and one of my biggest idols for the support you’ve shown today. Forever grateful 💜 pic.twitter.com/innckBk8NI
— Grayson Dolan (@GraysonDolan) February 18, 2020
Their documentary, titled ‘Losing a Best Friend,’ boasts a whopping 2.8 million views at the time of writing, with YouTube commenters expressing ample love and support for the duo in wake of their heartwrenching loss.
However, this response marks a striking difference from the drama that unfolded after Sean’s passing in early 2019, with fans organizing meetups at the funeral and even spreading the hashtag “#seandolanfuneralparty” across Twitter.
If you are a fan of Grayson and I we love you and appreciate you so much. The best way you could support us during this tough time is to NOT show up at our father’s wake or funeral. thank you guys and please please please respect my wish.
— Ethan Dolan (@EthanDolan) January 22, 2019
The Twins begged for privacy this time, with Ethan notably announcing “The best way you could support us during this tough time is to NOT show up at our father’s wake or funeral. Thank you guys and please please please respect my wish.”
A year later, the two have honored their father in a major way — and it looks like the internet has been hugely receptive to their latest project.