Some people will do anything in the name of content.
On March 30, Russian YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy took to the streets of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to create a viral livestream of himself harassing Filipinos. In a Kick livestream titled “DISTURBING THE PEACE in Philippines 😈,” Zdorovetskiy can be seen stealing a traffic officer’s patrol motorcycle, screaming the lyrics of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at another officer, and crashing a tricycle into the side of a parked jeepney. Throughout the livestream, Zdorovetskiy repeatedly harassed local passersby. At one point, the content creator threatened to rob an older woman if she didn’t stop walking away from him. After the woman had stopped, Zdorovetskiy offered her money, which she promptly refused.
“Okay, [it’s] ‘cuz you’ve got a COVID mask, you liberal fuck,” he said in response, as the woman was wearing a face mask. “Go get your vaccine.”
Zdorovetskiy, who has over 10 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, was arrested on April 2 by the Bureau of Immigration (BI). The content creator is currently awaiting deportation proceedings, with BGC management working with authorities to pursue “legal measures” against him.
This is merely the latest in a string of stunts where the content creator resorted to public harassment for viral content. In 2014, Zdorovetskiy streaked across the pitch during the soccer World Cup final held in Brazil. In 2016, he was arrested in Los Angeles for scaling the Hollywood sign. In 2020, he spent five days in prison after climbing one of the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo.
That’s Enough Content
Zdorovetskiy is only one of several recent content creators who have taken to disrupting the peace in order to generate viral content. Earlier this March, an influencer in Cebu donned a neon green snail costume and hindered traffic on a major highway, resulting in local police pressing charges against him. In 2023, the Tukumi brothers, a group of vloggers, staged a fake kidnapping in Las Piñas City, much to the distress of the local authorities and the people they pretended to kidnap.
In other countries, foreign content creators have also crossed the line when it comes to clout-chasing. In October 2024, American YouTuber Johnny Somali sparked outrage in Seoul after posting videos of himself causing chaos in a convenience store, harassing pedestrians with a foul-smelling bag of fish, and kissing a “comfort woman” statue, a symbol of wartime sexual slavery victims. Somali is now detained in South Korea, facing trial. At his first hearing on March 7, he pleaded guilty to all charges. Once his trial is complete, Somali will most likely be deported from South Korea.
Similarly, earlier this March, American influencer Sam Jones posted a video of herself stealing a baby wombat from its mother while in Australia. While the creator claimed that she did this out of concern for the wombat’s safety, the video was met with local outrage, resulting in Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announcing that Jones’ visa was under review. Since then, Jones has voluntarily left the country.
“Harrassment and disruptive behavior have no place in our society,” said BI Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado in an announcement regarding Zdorovetskiy’s arrest. “[We] will take swift action against offenders.”
In the case of Zdorovetskiy, disrupting the peace clearly comes with consequences. As the Russian native awaits deportation proceedings, Viado took the opportunity to remind foreign visitors to respect local customs and laws. “The Philippines welcomes visitors from all over the world but those who abuse our hospitality and abuse our laws will be held accountable,” said Viado.
