Fitness Influencer Goob's Viral 'Arrest' Video Was Staged, Suffolk County Police Say
A video showing fitness influencer John Dorsey, known online as Goob, in handcuffs being escorted into a police vehicle went viral on social media from November 2, with many reposts claiming he had been arrested by police in Suffolk County, New York. According to TMZ and DispatchTimes, a Suffolk County Police Department spokesperson said the "arrest" was not real: it was filmed as part of social media posts promoting a charity food giveaway taking place later this month.
The video was posted on November 2 by fellow fitness influencer Joey Swoll and the page Former Fat Guy Fitness, showing Dorsey handcuffed and led to a vehicle by an "officer." Swoll appeared shocked in his post, said he did not yet have all the facts, and told Dorsey, "You need to do better, buddy." As the clip spread, Dorsey posted a statement on Instagram saying, "I am currently unable to give details about the video you've been seeing circulating. Please allow me some privacy and grace to address this properly," and restricted comments on his account. According to DispatchTimes, he also shared what appeared to be a letter from an attorney and insisted, "It's not a skit."
Fans had voiced doubts before police weighed in. PrimeTimer reported earlier that no court or public records could be found for any arrest, charges, bail conditions or court appearance involving Dorsey. Fans pointed out that he stages skits every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas to promote charity food giveaways, and Long Island residents noted that the vehicle in the clip did not look like an official Suffolk County police car and that Newsday had carried nothing about such an arrest.
The police spokesperson's account matches those observations. According to TMZ and DispatchTimes, police said the filming was social media promotion for a charity food giveaway later this month, and Dorsey is known for staging elaborate holiday skits to promote such charity events in previous years. The viral "arrest" thus turned out to be a staged promotional stunt, debunked by the police department itself.
Source: TMZ
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 萨福克县警察局警车资料图（DanTD摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons；非疯传视频中的车辆、非事发现场图）
