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Lindsay Dodgson, Palmer Haasch, and Charlotte Colombo
Updated
- Trisha Paytas has a complicated history with the YouTuber couple H3H3, Ethan and Hila Klein.
- But Paytas is now engaged to Hila's brother and has been co-hosting a podcast with Ethan.
- In June, Paytas said that they were leaving the "Frenemies" podcast that they co-host with Klein.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
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The beef all started back in May 2019 when Ethan Klein called out photo editing
In May 2019, H3H3's Ethan Klein posted a video called "Instagram vs. Reality," where he called out how heavily photos on social media are edited. He found images of celebrities and influencers on social media and compared them to photos other people had taken.
He included Trisha Paytas in the video, calling them the "spokesperson for Instagram vs Reality," and criticized them for the sheer amount of touching up their photos are given. (Paytas identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns "they" and "them.")
"Why are you even a model if you're going to modify your looks that much?" he asked. "It's like beauty queen to WWF wrestler in two seconds. You cannot photoshop your heart and soul — remember that."
Klein was trying to make the wider point that people shouldn't compare themselves to what they see on social media because, in all likelihood, these stars aren't showing a picture of reality. But some thought he went a bit far with his jokes, calling one side by side of Paytas "Coachella vs an open casket funeral," and referring to Tana Mongeau as a "manatee."
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Trisha Paytas hit back, calling Ethan a 'disgusting piece of s---'
Paytas didn't take the criticism lying down, and hit back at Klein in a long string of tweets.
"hey @h3h3productions — you are a disgusting piece of s---," they said. "Your recent video is not only predatory — it's also HARMFUL to young girls."
They told him they'd struggled with suicidal thoughts from a young age, and bullying can "lead to many girls wanting to take their lives like I did for so many years."
"Suicide from bullying is f---ing real," they continued. "I pray to God u never know anyone first hand that ends their life from that s---. It's not a joke. It's f---ing real — u sicko."
They also posted a video called "h3h3 is HARMING YOUNG GIRLS!" where they tearfully recorded their thoughts from their infamous kitchen floor and urged Klein to take the video down.
"It just made me so sad and upset that there's this 40-year-old man shaming girls," they said. "He would take my one photo where I was glam for Instagram and compare it to a video like this or a vlog video where I have no makeup on. It wasn't the same day. It was completely different looks."
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Paytas also got Klein's wife Hila involved, but Klein wasn't bothered
Paytas sent another tweet, tagging the other half of H3H3, Hila Klein, telling her not to raise the child they were expecting "to be as ignorant as your husband."
"I would divorce him ASAP as he is causing so much damage to young women," Paytas wrote. "It's actually SICKENING. I've never been more disgusted. That you stand by him is even more disgusting."
Klein wasn't fazed and retweeted them saying, "Who is this rude person? I don't recognize her from her profile picture. Anyone know?"
He then hammered his point further by posting a highly edited photo of himself where he'd neatened up his facial hair, made himself thinner, and gotten rid of all the lines on his face.
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Things took a surprising turn when Paytas asked to come on the podcast
Just two days later, Paytas tweeted that they wanted to appear on the H3 podcast.
"Omg why didn't I realize how funny @h3h3productions was this whole time?!" they continued, thanking him for a (non-existent) collab and saying they were a huge fan.
They also said they wanted to go to Israel with Klein because he "seems like the dude to do this with."
Paytas is a self-confessed troll, so these tweets were probably little more than a ploy for attention.
"I just have this constant need for attention," they told Insider in a previous article. "Maybe that's a bad thing, maybe not, but it's how I thrive."
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In August 2019, Paytas asked Klein to leave them alone
In August, presumably after Klein made a comment about them in the H3H3 podcast, Paytas tweeted him once again.
"Why do [you] repeatedly come for me ??" they asked. "U r a dad now, maybe like stop picking on girls online for literally no reason ?"
Klein didn't respond.
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In October 2019, Paytas came out as a transgender man, which Klein said was 'f---ing insane'
Paytas posted a video titled "I AM TRANSGENDER (FEMALE TO MALE)" in October 2019, in which they said they're basically a gay man who likes to dress in drag because they are attracted to other gay men, loves "glam" and "voluptuousness," and has "penis envy."
Many in the LGBTQ community were upset because they thought Paytas was making a joke out of transgender issues, and several called them out on social media and in the video's comments.
Klein also mocked Paytas, calling them "f---ing insane" on an episode of the podcast.
In response, Paytas send several revealing photos to Klein over Twitter, which he called "gross."
Paytas also uploaded another video where they said Klein was "worse than Donald Trump."
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With neither side backing down, Klein then posted a mocking imitation of Paytas' apology video
Paytas posted an apology video shortly after their announcement, saying they were "overwhelmed by the amount of backlash."
Klein didn't miss the opportunity to mock them, dressing up in a blonde wig and red lipstick, and filming a kitchen floor video of his own.
"I wanted to basically apologize to Trisha Paytas, who is such a sweet, genuine person," Klein said. "I wanted to, first of all, apologize for saying that she looked like she was at an open casket funeral, she was the corpse inside of a casket ... You're so beautiful you're such a queen."
He continued insincerely for another few minutes, impersonating Paytas' apology voice.
"Sorry for saying that you're not a trans man, even though you have F cup jugs that are always on display," he said. "Mostly I just want to apologize to Trisha and say that she's really hot and definitely doesn't look like she's been passed around as much as a bowling ball."
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A Twitter exchange then suggested a collab was actually on the cards
A short Twitter exchange between Klein and Paytas in October 2019 suggested they might get together to record a podcast. Klein said if they were "man enough" they would come on, to which Paytas said they would do it for $18 million.
"You'd definitely do it for free," Klein said.
"Apologize for all ur dumb ass trolling then maybe," Paytas replied.
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Sure enough, a few days later, Paytas made their debut appearance on the H3 podcast
Paytas appearing on the H3 podcast was a turn of events nobody expected. It looked like the hosts, and their guest were all having a lot of fun, and they seemed to put their history behind them.
There was one slightly awkward moment where Paytas claimed they had made no money from their video where the claimed to be transgender. Klein said he didn't believe them and made them pull up their YouTube dashboard. It revealed they'd actually made $8,000.
"You've been going around saying in your defence and on television too that 'I don't make money from this,' so why would you do it?" he said. "I just think that it kind of undermines that whole argument that you're doing this just to tell your story, but clearly you made 8,000 bucks from it."
They all seemed to laugh the situation off and ended the recording on good terms.
"Thank you for coming," Klein tweeted afterwards. "Despite our differences and a few rocky moments, it was really fun having you in the studio."
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Paytas appeared on the podcast again in February 2020 for a special 'Bachelorette' episode
Things were quiet between H3H3 and Paytas until they came onto the H3 podcast again for a special episode.
The Kleins decided they wanted to help Paytas find love by starting a "Bachelorette" style dating show.
"Look how far we've come," Paytas said in the second episode, among many insinuations they wanted to be part of a "throuple" with the Kleins.
Paytas chose some of their favorite contestants by judging their video entries. They also expressed an interest in Hila's brother.
They agreed to the rules set by Klein — it was preferred they wouldn't message with any of the contestants in private, but if Paytas did, they would have to let the Kleins know.
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However, lockdown meant the show was put on hold, and Paytas started breaking the rules
The coronavirus pandemic threw a spanner in the works for the quest to find Paytas love, and the show was put on hold in March 2020.
However, Paytas took things into their own hands. Out of seemingly nowhere, they started posting photos of them and Klein's brother-in-law Moses Hacmon on social media.
"Social distancing together," they tweeted with a love heart and two photos of them and Hacmon in their garden.
"At the end I won the bachelorette. Thank u @h3h3productions," Paytas tweeted a few days later with another photo.
"Stop this right now," Klein tweeted back, with a vomiting emoji. "I'm not really mad just confused and wondering what the actual f--- is going on."
Klein said he and Hila had no idea what was happening because Hacmon was avoiding their questions. They discussed the matter on their podcast, saying nobody had told them anything and they were just judging the situation from what they saw on social media.
Meanwhile, on April 3, 2020, Paytas tweeted, "Love being family" with yet another selfie with Hacmon.
"Sorry Trish but even Jesus here couldn't fix ur broken a--," Klein replied. Paytas asked him not to troll them for "being in love."
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The confusion continued throughout April, with Paytas apparently learning Hebrew and prepping for Passover
Hila and Hacmon are both Israeli and Jewish, and Paytas clearly wanted to show how dedicated they were to their new love by learning about his culture throughout April 2020.
They posted one video on the Hebrew alphabet, then vlogged aboutprepping for Passover, where they bought Kosher foods from the supermarket and got dressed up for the occasion.
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Things between Paytas and the Kleins quickly turned dramatic again
Paytas was very open and revealing about their relationship with Hacmon on social media, then started accusing Klein of trying to ruining it.
"U can't cut through the earth," they tweeted at him. "We are soulmates. So u can't set it on fire even if u wanted to. I've been trying to be nice and respectful but stop coming for me bro."
Klein then told them to stop trying to cut Hacmon off from his family, "like Scientology."
"He's a big boy I think he can make his own decisions," Paytas responded.
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It looked like Paytas and Hacmon were not meant to be, and Paytas accused the Kleins of ruining their relationship
On April 14, 2020, Paytas posted a series of now-deleted tweets to Klein. They said he was jealous of them and Hacmon because he never had sex himself, then confusingly said they wanted to have sex with his dad.
"I'm sure the love of your life Moses is thrilled to hear of your intentions to f--- my dad," Klein responded.
Paytas then uploaded a video called "h3 ruined my relationship," which they said was "one of the saddest videos" they'd ever made. They spoke in-depth about how much they cared for Hacmon and went into details about their sex life, and then blamed the Kleins for the relationship ending.
They also claimed the Klein's set them up on the "Bachelorette" show and didn't choose contestants they would actually like.
"B---- you were up here trying to have a throuple with us like two weeks ago talking about me being a 10," Klein responded.
In a further tweet, he added: "This season of the BacH3lorette has been wild damn!!!"
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On April 22, 2020, Paytas uploaded a video of them and Hacmon eating Korean fried cheese
After a quiet couple of weeks, Paytas posted a video of them and Hacmon in their car eating Korean friend cheese on April 22, 2020. It's unclear when the video was filmed, but they were wearing masks so it must have been some point during California's ongoing lockdown.
The video is called "my special guest is water," referring to Hacmon's name on YouTube: Channel Water.
They spoke about judgment, love, and hate, and Paytas' love of deep-fried food.
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The Kleins reacted to the videos on April 25, 2020
The Klein's reacted to Paytas' latest videos about them and Hacmon in their podcast on April 25, 2020. Klein said he "couldn't believe" what the situation had turned into.
Klein said he had no issue with their relationship, he was just still confused about what was going on. Hila said it all just highlighted how "worlds should not collide" and she was mentally checking out of the whole thing.
"This is so f---ing bizarre," said Klein. "That my brother-in-law, Hila's brother, is now in a Trisha Paytas video doing Mukbangs and I didn't even know. I don't even know that they're hanging out."
He also added a humorous jab at Paytas, saying Korean fried cheese dogs aren't that good.
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Paytas didn't take the criticism well
In true trollish fashion, Paytas uploaded a video called "the biggest LIES + HYPOCRISY of h3h3 YET!" soon after the podcast aired on April 25, 2020. For seven minutes they claimed Klein wants to sleep with them, and defended fried cheese dogs.
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After several months of snide remarks and questions about Hacmon and Paytas' relationship, they all seemed to have reconciled
Despite some ups and downs, including Paytas reading out his messages to another woman on their podcast, Hacmon and Paytas seemed to stay together for most of the lockdown. He appeared in many of their Instagram stories, podcasts, and TikToks, and spent a lot of time at their house with their family.
Hacmon has also appeared in Paytas' vlogs, where they called him their "boyfriend."
However, things took an unexpected turn in September when YouTube tabloid news reporter Keemstar invited Gabbie Hanna — Paytas' nemesis — on his DramaAlert show, where she spoke about writing Paytas a song. Paytas and Hanna fell out a while ago after Hanna told Paytas' ex-boyfriend Jason Nash she'd heard that Paytas had herpes. Paytas has since made several videos asking Hanna to leave them alone.
Keemstar and Paytas have a history of drama already, but having Hanna on the show was too much. Paytas sent several videos to him via Twitter accusing Keemstar of "defending pieces of s--t" and driving people to harm themselves.
The reignited conflict seemed to push Paytas and Klein together, as he also has a turbulent relationship with Keemstar. A few days later, Paytas and Klein announced they would be starting a podcast together, starting on September 15, 2020, called "Frenemies."
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Paytas and Klein seemed to turn a major corner when Dr Drew appeared on the podcast
On a truly surreal episode of "Frenemies," where Paytas and Klein dressed up as each other for Halloween, Dr Drew appeared as a guest to act as a sort of couple's counselor.
The pair really seemed to turn a corner, speaking about upsetting words that had been exchanged over their history, and a fiery argument that had ended with Paytas storming out on a previous episode.
The session dredged up a lot of Klein and Paytas' past, and things got pretty emotional at times. But overall, it seems to have done their relationship a lot of good. In episodes since, they both seem to be more comfortable and open, and a lot more respecting of each other's boundaries.
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But things fell apart yet again in an episode posted on December 10, 2020
After a brief chapter of peace, Paytas and Klein fell out again on episode 13. An argument started when Klein mentioned that Hila did not want to be talked about on the podcast, as the things Paytas was saying were causing tension between her and her brother Hacmon.
Klein tried to explain to Paytas that it wasn't about them — rather, it was family tensions and Hacmon not being honest with his sister. But Paytas took offense and was incredibly upset by the situation. After some discussion, Paytas cried and walked out on the show, swearing, and saying that they "hated" Hila.
Hacmon, who had gone out to collect pizzas for the show, returned to the chaos. It was unclear whether the podcast would continue.
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On December 11, 2020, Paytas claimed that they were quitting 'Frenemies'
On December 11, 2020, Paytas posted a video addressing the blowup between themself and Klein. They explained their frustrations and also said they had apologized to the Kleins.
In a livestream, Hila and Ethan continued to criticize Paytas. After the livestream, Paytas posted another video claiming they were quitting the show.
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Paytas returned to the show the next week, and apologized for their 'meltdown'
Paytas returned to the show on December 16, 2020, and apologized for the things they had said the week before. They said they had experienced a "meltdown" and had overreacted. Dr Drew came onto the show as a guest for a second time and helped the pair talk through the last episode.
They spoke about Paytas' fear of abandonment, and how Paytas pushes people away if they fear someone is going to leave them. Klein reassured them this was never going to happen, and he was always going to want to be their friend.
"My opinion really is that, I'm always willing to make it work, and there's nothing you can say or do or you can say and storm out or whatever it is, that's going to make me abandon you," he said.
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Paytas announced their engagement to Hacmon on December 25, 2020
On Christmas Day in 2020, Paytas announced on social media that they had gotten engaged to Moses Hacmon, Hila's brother (and Ethan's brother-in-law) whom Paytas had dated over the course of the pandemic.
"WE'RE ENGAGED!!!!!!!!" Paytas wrote in the caption of an Instagram post about the engagement. "Ima be a wifeyyyyy."
They also posted footage of Hacmon's proposal to YouTube.
"Congratulations guys this video was really beautiful to watch," Klein wrote in a tweet replying to Paytas' announcement on Twitter.
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Klein has taken Paytas' side in a huge feud they are involved in
Paytas started feuding with one of their oldest friends, Shane Dawson, in January. They spoke about it on two consecutive episodes of "Frenemies," and explained how Dawson hadn't supported them when they told him they had been mistreated by controversial beauty mogul Jeffree Star.
Paytas has publicly claimed several times that Star acted like a "mean girl" on a trip to Las Vegas — alleging that he made fun of their skin, bullied them about their weight, and threw away their expensive Balenciaga sweater. Dawson, meanwhile, continued to collaborate with Star.
Paytas has made it pretty clear the friendship is over, and has received overwhelming support from Klein. He even posted a TikTok stating that Dawson, his partner Ryland Adams, and Star are his "enemies" now.
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Paytas announced in June that they were quitting 'Frenemies' over ownership disputes
On June 8, Paytas posted a video to YouTube announcing that they were leaving the "Frenemies" podcast that had aired every Tuesday for nine months.
In Paytas' video, they said that the H3H3 production crew was unhappy with Paytas' conduct during the latest episode and that recording for the show would pause for the week.
The announcement followed a dispute over Paytas and the H3H3 production crew's contributions and compensation to the "Frenemies" podcast that took place on the latest episode, Insider's Kat Tenbarge reported.
In the video announcing their departure, however, Paytas said that the dispute wasn't the reason for their departure. Rather, they said that they wanted the podcast to be a 50/50 partnership that they and Klein built together, incorporating costs for the podcast set and production. According to Paytas, Klein's position was that H3H3 produces the podcast and Paytas is "the talent."
"I am honestly gutted over this whole thing, trisha's video this morning was a total surprise to me," Klein wrote in a tweet several hours after Paytas posted the video. "I dont [sic] really know what more I can say or do. Im [sic] very sorry to all the fans of frenemies, I know how much it meant to everyone, I did everything I humanly could to save it."
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The argument continued on social media, with Paytas posting another video about the situation
Paytas posted a second video several hours later titled "one more thing" where they claimed their issues were nothing to do with money, and they wanted more input into what the direction of the show was going to be.
"I can't scream enough I don't want more money!!!!!!!!!!" Paytas tweeted. "I want to have a say in where some of the highlights money goes to because that's what we agreed on. Production costs."
They also denied they had been rude to the crew — something Klein apparently told Paytas after they stopped filming.
"I held myself together as well as I can being told I don't contribute anything, I just show up, he's the producer, I'm the talent," they said. "All the stuff like that was triggering and I try to hold it back."
Klein then tweeted that the H3 crew was getting a barrage of hate directed at them from Paytas' followers, and he was losing his "cool."
"The crew has done nothing but support [them] and work their asses off every week and the treatment they get is unacceptable," he said.
Klein added that he had reached out to Paytas to tell them he "wasn't happy" with how they had handled the situation.
"Instead of talking to me and handling it privately, [they] put out another 20 minute video that caused my crew to get so much hate they are now privating their instas," he said.
Paytas responded saying they were not "inciting hate" and they had "no issue" with the H3 crew. They said Klein was deflecting from the situation because he shouldn't have allowed the conversation about money to continue while filming. Paytas also posted a screenshot of a hateful message they had received to indicate they were getting backlash too.
"It's not me pushing ppl away. I felt EXTREMELY disrespected yesterday," Paytas tweeted. "Pushed and pushed — it's not walking on eggshells it's respecting someone when they ask to stop the recording and just not respecting that."
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Paytas continued to tweet into the night
Paytas continued the thread of tweets for another two hours, posting screenshots of their text messages with Klein about their contract details. One particular tweet caused significant backlash from viewers who accused Paytas of being antisemitic.
Meanwhile, Klein deleted all his tweets and said he was "going to take a step back for the evening."
"At the end of the day, Frenemies was a beautiful experiment that I will always cherish," he said. "I've learned and grown so much from the experience and have Trisha to thank for that. She's been a dear friend of mine throughout, and I'll always be grateful for all she's done for us."
He added at the end two emojis which signified a catchphrase he and Paytas have popularized during their time cohosting Frenemies: "peace and love."
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In the morning, Paytas apologized and said they were embarrassed about what happened
A few hours later, early in the morning of June 9, Paytas said they had deleted all their tweets too.
"I shouldn't have shown private conversations," they said. "I apologize. I apologize for everything. This got blown out of proportion. I don't want enemies. I've tried really hard to make amends with people I've been in 'drama' with. I don't want it."
They said they were sorry "Frenemies" was ending this way and they felt horrible because "they've been really wonderful to me."
Paytas said the show wasn't working for them, and they were going to figure out why. They said they weren't looking for another chance, and they needed to figure out why they were feeling so overwhelmed.
"I apologize to Ethan, Dan, Ian and Sam — like I really do," they said. "It's embarrassing and I'm embarrassed. And most of all you guys — like it was cool [as f---] to be back in a popular group for just being me. Like love and positivity always feels good. And this right now, does not. I'm sorry."
They said they were sad to leave, "but alas all good things come to an end."
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Paytas also posted a video titled 'I'm sorry'
Paytas also posted an emotional video titled "I'm sorry" where they said they didn't want enemies on the internet — especially Klein. They said their videos were only meant to clarify their belief they are not a rude person, and they regretted things getting "blown out of proportion."
They added they were really sorry that "Frenemies" was ending, but "it didn't feel right" to stay.
"Obviously I handled things poorly," they said. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I let everyone down. I let myself down. I quit. I do quit. I quit everything."
Paytas said they had never fully recovered from when they insulted Hila in December 2020, which was their "lowest point in life."
"Another reason I quit 'Frenemies' is that I don't want to be seen as this person which I thought I was painted out to be really early on, when me and Moses started dating — that I was ruining their family," they said.
Paytas finished the video by saying they were going to try and stay offline for a while.
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Klein posted a video that evening detailing his side of the story
Late on the evening of June 9, Klein posted a video titled "Regarding Trisha Quitting Frenemies," where he gave his side of the story. He said Paytas saying a lot of things publicly had put him in a "tough spot" because he wanted to be respectful of them but also wanted to clear up confusion about what had happened.
"And so I say with peace and love that as a friend, I have come to love and appreciate Trisha, as a partner, I think [they are] one of the funniest people I've ever known, one of the most talented people, one of the most dynamic and entertaining people I've ever known," he said.
"So creating 'Frenemies' with [them] is going to be one of the all-time highlights for me. It's been such an amazing ride. I've learned and grown so much from it on a personal level from [them], and from you guys the audience."
Klein said Paytas had asked to hire an entire new crew for "Frenemies," but did not clarify whether Paytas had wanted the original crew fired or not.
Shortly after, Paytasposted two videos called "Ethan's lies" part 1 and 2 where they watched Klein's video and reacted to it. Paytas said Klein should never have posted the episode, and denied they wanted anyone from H3 to lose their jobs. In follow-up tweets, Paytas said Klein "lied" and was "manipulating" the situation.
Klein said the H3 crew were willing to film the next day, but he decided to cancel it because he felt everyone was upset by what had happened during the "Frenemies" episode.
Much of Klein's video focused on money, and how much it cost him to produce "Frenemies." He said he makes no money from the show because he had bought $30,000 of new equipment when Paytas refused to film in the new H3 Podcast studio, and and has hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in the merch that was due to be released this summer.
Klein said any money he made from "Frenemies" he puts back into the show, but Paytas disputed this in a series of tweets.
They said itwas "crazy" and Klein had made "an insane amount of money." Paytas said the money for the merch was invested from revenue made from "Frenemies" highlights on YouTube, so they had lost their investment too.
At the end of the video, Klein said he had offered Paytas the opportunity to give their opinions about the show and have more input, but they didn't want it. He also said he felt he was Paytas' "punching bag."
He said "Frenemies" had been more successful than either he or Paytas ever anticipated, and he had a lot to thank Paytas for. He said he wasn't trying to cut them out of his life, and didn't want anyone to "cancel" them.
"I do love Trisha as a friend, and I do want the best for [them], and I'm sure [they're] going to bounce back and do great," he said. "I'm not mad at [them], I don't blame [them]. This has been a frustrating experience but ultimately I understand who [they are] and I'm willing to forgive and forget always when it comes to [them]."
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Paytas posted a sixth video on June 10
Paytas posted their sixth video on the debacle on June 10, titled "this needs to be said." They reiterated that they had no problem with the production crew, and were leaving to be respectful to them.
Paytas insisted again that they wanted to quit the show because of Klein's conversations with the crew, despite the fact they decided to leave before those talks took place.
The video included TikToks made by Paytas' fans and old "Frenemies" clips they believed showed they were fans of H3 employees.
"Me leaving the show is me showing respect for them," they said. "I don't want to be this person that people walk on eggshells and feel disrespected. I don't want to be that person. That's all I was saying by leaving the show."
Paytas said they believed Klein was trying to paint them as a "monster" with his video, and they no longer trusted him. They ended the video by saying they were "distraught" by everything that had happened.
"None of this feels good, it all feels really s----y," they said. "I'm appreciative of everyone who worked on the show, I am."
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Paytas posted another video and over 30 more tweets, then said they wanted it all 'to stop'
On Sunday June 13, Paytas uploaded another YouTube video titled "!!TRIGGER WARNING!! *sa* monetization is off for this one (serious topics)." They said Klein had made them uncomfortable on multiple occasions by asking them to discuss topics relating to sexual assault and sex work on the "Frenemies" podcast.
Paytas said that in the past they had been open about their history with sex work, sexual health, and experiences of sexual assault, but that they realize now that they are "triggered" when these experiences are brought up.
Klein responded to Paytas' video in a tweet, saying "this whole thing is extremely upsetting and disturbing," because he considered Paytas one of his closest friends, and they were now "making videos accusing me of sexually harassing [them]."
"Trisha said I was sexualizing [them] in the workplace which is the textbook definition of sexual harassment," he wrote in a follow-up tweet, after some fans accused him of misinterpreting Paytas' video.
Paytas posted over 30 tweets in response saying that Klein was "twisting" their words.
They ended the tirade by saying, "I, too, just want it to stop."
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Klein and his parents called out Paytas for appearing on "Mom's Basement," a podcast hosted by YouTuber Keemstar
On Sunday August 15, Paytas, Keemstar, and Klein started trending on Twitter after YouTuber Daniel Keem, aka Keemstar, announced that Paytas would be appearing on the "Mom's Basement" podcast he hosts with YouTuber FaZe Banks with an image of the three of them.
Klein reposted the image, and tweeted: "I'm not even gonna front or try to be funny, this just really makes me sad."
Klein and Paytas have a long-standing feud with Keem. They both recently criticized the age gap between Keem and his girlfriend, with Paytas saying in a YouTube video the 39-year-old was "manipulating and grooming" his 20-year-old girlfriend. Klein recently said on Twitter that Keemstar mocked his wife Hila's appearance, and accused him of being responsible for Klein's temporary YouTube ban.
Klein's parents also weighed in. His mother Donna — who replaced Paytas as Klein's co-host on the podcast now named "Families" — tweeted that Paytas a "weasel" and his father Gary said that Paytas didn't have "any self respect left."
Paytas posted 21 TikTok videos and various tweets in response, saying Klein's comment was just "another gross attempt of making something about him when its not." They said in one of the videos that they're "more Team Ethan than Team Keem," and added that they wore Frenemies merchandise on the podcast in order to reflect that.
"We had a s---ty ending, but I'm not going on all these podcasts to spite him," Paytas said. Paytas then went on to address the end of Frenemies, which they said they still have "animosity" and "resentment" towards Klein over.
On Twitter, Paytas said that Klein's fanbase was "unbelievably toxic" and "scary." In a later tweet, they compared the fanbase to a "cult."
Paytas also said on Twitter that Klein was a "hypocrite" for "giv[ing] his platforms to his parents to s--- on me."
Before "logging off,", Paytas added that on the podcast, which is yet to be released, they "defended Ethan [...] in many ways."
Klein went on to post a tweet saying fellow YouTuber Gabbie Hanna, with who Paytas also has a long-standing feud, asked to be featured on "Frenemies" following Paytas' departure, but said he never responded, adding, "Somethings you just don't do. I would never do that to Trisha."
A separate tweet from Keem suggested Hanna would also appear on "Mom's Basement."
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