On Friday, November 29, social media stars Hunter and Brandon Rowland posted a video to their YouTube channel and opened up about the domestic abuse they suffered at the hands of their mom, Christine Rowland.
In the emotional video, titled “The Truth,” the brother duo sat in front of the camera and got real about the physical and emotional abuse that had been going on in their home since a young age. Not only did the pair talk about the events that transpired during arguments with their mom, but they even shared clips of some of the abuse. The boys’ manager, Greggory Falchetto, even made an appearance in the video and spoke on the actions of their mom.
“This is a big part of who we are and we’re happy that we can finally show you guys the truth behind everything,” they captioned the video.
Before they started talking, the Rowland siblings included a trigger warning and signaled to viewers the severity of the clips included within the 19-minute video.
“This video is basically for Brandon and I to explain a lot of stuff that we’ve never really talked about,” the 18-year-old said. “We just want to go over a lot of stuff that we’ve never really or never really shared with you guys.”
Hunter and his 16-year-old brother recounted their childhood and admitted that because the abuse was so frequent they started to think it was normal household behavior. They also said that a lot of what they suffered from was a result of their mom leaving the boys with their youngest brother, Ashton, and “involving alcohol in their every day lives.”
“When she did get home, she would be super drunk, out of her mind, and me and Hunter were taking care of her, ” Brandon said. “We’d literally have to stay up until two in the morning on a school night when we were like 12.”
On Sunday, December 1, they shared a second video, titled “The Final Chapter,” which told the rest of the brothers’ story and included a phone call with their mom before Hunter and Brandon both explained that now, they’re looking to move forward and grow.
“This video is the final part to this chapter,” they captioned the video. “All of this has been so difficult for us both to process and quite honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without each of you. After all this time we can finally put this to rest and move toward a bigger and brighter future.”
As fans know, this came just after the boys announced emancipation from their mother back in March 2019. The two took to social media to share the news and explained why they went through this process of legally becoming adults before turning 18 years old.
“There’s so much more to us than what you see, and this is one of those things,” Brandon wrote on Instagram. “Hunter is the reason I’m where I am, the reason I’m emancipated, I would still be stuck where I was without him and you guys. I love you.”
Christine hasn’t immediately returned J-14’s requests for comment.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can help victims and survivors of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-799-7233.
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