By Ethan Chun
On September 27, 2022, the popular YouTube group, “The Try Guys,” released a statement that member and co-founder Ned Fulmer would no longer be working with them. The Try Guys have taken over headlines because Fulmer was found to have cheated on his wife, Ariel Fulmer.
On Reddit, pictures and comments captured the affair. The scandal arose during Labor Day weekend, when Fulmer was seen kissing his employee, Alex Herring. Later that weekend, the information reached the rest of the YouTube group. However, internet users discovered that the affair started in 2021, with Herring’s fiancé finding out in December 2021. There was an internal review of the company, and when asked, several employees admitted to knowing or noticing the affair.
Fulmer was officially removed from The Try Guys on September 16, 2022, but the public was unaware at the time. The Try Guys’ editing team was quick to start editing Fulmer out of videos that were being released following the separation, sparking fan speculation regarding Fulmer’s absence.
Artwork by Guneet Hanjra
Fans of "The Try Guys" are in shock over the release of the YouTube video describing the situation.
“I was not surprised in the least, but still very disappointed in the actions Ned chose to take,” junior Antonia Pizarro said.
The Try Guys released a YouTube video discussing the scandal to alert the public. Following this statement, Fulmer released his own statement in a similar style that expressed his regret and determination to focus on his family.
The statements and videos were talked about, parodied, mocked and posted all over the internet. Articles from major news organizations, TikTok skits, an SNL sketch and many more were made about the situation.
Some students praised The Try Guys for their maturity and how well they handled Fulmer’s departure.
“The situation was well-handled considering the fact that Ned’s actions would affect the whole company, and it sucks knowing someone wasn’t who they said they were,” senior Sakshi Raj said.
“I think the situation was handled amazingly. I have mad props for the company handling it in a mature way, addressing it in the podcast and in the short video. They never did anything to do it in a disrespectful way, but they showed their disapproval. I stand with the guys at this time,” senior Sara Gustafson said.
Some fans were heartbroken by Fulmer’s infidelity and felt the image they had of him was ruined, given that he was well-known for his “wife-guy” persona. This persona was evident in that Fulmer constantly mentioned his wife in most of the videos he was in.
“I think what he did was unfair because they had a child together, and even if they mend their relationship, it doesn’t change the fact that he cheated. I don’t think I’ll be able to see him in the same way anymore,” senior Aman Sinha said.
Amidst the public scandal, fans have begun to speculate what will become of the Try Guys. Some students have mixed feelings about what the future holds for the company.
“I think they will continue to be a successful channel because of the personalities that will still be featured, but the dynamic will definitely feel different to viewers,” senior Maggie Gray said.
“I predict this will negatively affect their business in the future as their reputation will be tainted by Ned’s scandal,” senior David Ren said.