- A birthday party that took place at the Hype House Tuesday night is garnering criticism online after an estimated 67 top influencers crammed together for the rager.
- TikTok and YouTube stars gathered for dinner at BOA Steakhouse before continuing the celebration at the newly relocated Hype House in the Hollywood Hills.
- The party was thrown in honor of Hype House member Larri Merritt, a creator known online as Larray.
- The Hype House is a TikTok creator collective that includes some of the platform's top Gen Z talent.
Against all odds, influencers are reuniting to party amid the ongoing pandemic. On Tuesday, a 22nd birthday celebration held in honor of Hype House member Larri Merritt brought a sizable group of mostly maskless (or poorly masked) stars from TikTok and YouTube to the group's mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Guests who were spotted at the party include James Charles, Tana Mongeau, Nikita Dragun, Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, Emma Chamberlain, and more.
The festivities began with dinner at BOA Steakhouse and culminated in a night of drinking and dancing beneath Hello Kitty strobe lights at Hype House headquarters. In an interview with The Hollywood Fix, Hype House cofounder Thomas Petrou said an estimated 67 attendees were inside the house, while "hundreds" more waited outside hoping to be let in.
In clips and snapshots from the night, several creators, including Thomas Petrou, the Lopez Brothers, and Merritt himself, were photographed wearing masks when they entered and exited the steakhouse. But posts shared via Instagram by Mongeau, Dragun, Charles, and Hype House member Nick Austin depicted many unmasked attendees in close quarters by the end of the night.
In a tweet, YouTuber Tyler Oakley tagged several of the party's most prominent attendees, pleading with them to "consider social distancing, mask wearing, & using your huge platforms to encourage responsibility during a worldwide pandemic." Merritt quickly replied in complete agreement, writing: "i understand 100% where ur coming from & it was a dumb thing to do. I will do better & will actually take this shit seriously. appreciate you tyler much love."
Still, many online are taking issue with the partygoers' flagrant disregard for the threat they potentially pose to the health of others. A COVID-19 vaccine isn't expected for months, according to vaccinologists and industry analysts, and California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a record number of new COVID-19 cases in the state Wednesday.
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