The NELK Boys have come under fire recently for holding multiple large gatherings in the span of just a few days. However, they’ve responded to the backlash, explaining how things are allegedly being misinterpreted.
Having blown up on social media throughout 2020, NELK Boys have faced their fair share of criticism as well. The group of pranksters was banned from YouTubejust days ago, and the controversy hasn’t slowed down since.
The extremely popular personalities recently came under fire for hosting two enormous gatherings across the United States. In the midst of an ongoing health crisis, huge crowds have gathered for a chance to interact with the internet celebrities. This was a cause for huge concern as streets were filled and security was forced to keep the meetups in order.
Since the most recent incidents, Kyle Forgeard of the NELK Boys took to social media to address the drama. Outlining how the media has been getting the narrative “pretty f**king twisted.”
While police shut down earlier gatherings, the latest meetups were supposedly kept in line by forces the NELK Boys had hired. This was done in order to “disperse people and get rid of the crowds” in the midst of the ongoing health crisis — though the NELK Boys assured they had no intention of causing any big meetups in the first place.
“It might sound stupid, we don’t know how big we are,” Forgeard said. “We don’t feel famous, we feel normal. We can’t even post a story of where we’re at anymore. People will show up and we’re gonna get in sh*t for starting a large gathering.”
“It’s just something we’re going to have to accept,” he added. Regardless of where they are or what they’re doing, fans will seemingly show up out of the blue.
https://twitter.com/NelkFilmz/status/1306030201911083009
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“We’re not used to it and I guess we’re learning the hard way. It sucks that we have to change our style because of how big we are.”
From fines for big parties to bans on social media platforms for other meetups, NELK have certainly been in trouble for recent actions. It’s something they’re well aware of, and something they’re actively trying to stop, too, as a new video suggests.
Late on September 15, footage emerged of NELK’s SteveWillDoIt angrily confronting fans who were gathering around where they were staying on the Jersey Shore — one of the huge gatherings that critics have called them out for. In the video, he demands the large group of fans let him speak before letting them know how they’re affecting their work.
“You say you’re fans because you love us, right?” he asked the crowd. “You’re getting us kicked out on our merch drop day because you’re here… If you’re here right now, you don’t like us, and I don’t f**k with you. We worked two months for this day, so if you guys stay here, I don’t f**k with any of you.”
While many fans and critics alike believe that NELK have been purposely orchestrating these gatherings so as to meet with their fans, it’s starting to look as though the complete opposite is true — and it could be having a big impact on their work.
This is especially pertinent if it affects their merch drops — which, especially after being permanently demonetized, NELK say they rely solely on for income.
How this changes things in the future, and whether NELK Boys fans can resist the temptation to hunt the stars down as they travel across the US, remains to be seen.