Over the years, some social media stars have made headlines because of their various run-ins with the law.
Hayes Grier, for example, was arrested in July 2021 following an alleged incident in North Carolina. Court documents obtained by TMZ claimed that the former Vine star and Dancing With the Stars alum was reportedly booked on three felony charges, Common Law Robbery, Felony Conspiracy and Assault Serious Bodily Injury. The influencer was accused of assaulting a man and stealing his cell phone. TMZ reported that “preliminary evidence” was found linking Hayes to the alleged incident. He was released on bail, according to NBC News. Hayes spoke publicly about the incident for the first time in November 2021.
“Hello everyone, I’d like to take the opportunity to confirm that after a detailed investigation by my attorneys and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office all charges against me have been dismissed,” he wrote via Instagram Stories at the time. “In the State’s own words, after obtaining all the facts, ‘[t]he evidence leaves the State without a reasonable chance of success at trial[,]’ and ‘the State is unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt that [Hayes] committed the offense[s.]’ Video evidence obtained by my attorneys, and presented to the State, clearly showed that I was not the aggressor but, instead, was assaulted without provocation by the purported victim.”
His message concluded, “I look forward to putting this unfortunate situation behind me. Thankful for all those who’ve been there for me.”
Hayes rose to fame alongside his older brother, Nash Grier, as a member of MAGCON, a meet and greet convention where social media users were able to meet their favorite stars. Aside from competing on the 2015 season of DWTS, Hayes also appeared alongside his family on the Top Grier reality show.
As fans know, other social media influencers, including Jake Paul, have also been involved with the police over the years.
In August 2020, the FBI was “executing a federal search warrant” at the former Team 10 founder’s California home, as reported by the Los Angeles Times at the time. The publication also shared that multiple firearms were found during the search. In a statement shared via social media, the FBI explained that their search was related to “allegations of criminal acts surrounding the incident at Scottsdale Fashion Square in May.” Jake was charged with two misdemeanors following allegations that he had been looting the mall amid protests. The misdemeanor charges have since been dropped, Fox News report from August 2020 read.
In a since-deleted YouTube video, Jake addressed the entire situation.
“Just to clarify things and set the record straight, the FBI raid is entirely related to the Arizona looting situation that happened,” he said. “It’s an investigation. There are rumors about it having to do with so many other things that have nothing to do with me or my character and the s–t that people are making up is absolutely absurd.”
Scroll through our gallery to see which other internet stars have experienced public run-ins with the law.
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
