Is It Drugs? Abuse? ISIS? Why Fans of This Beauty Vlogger Are Worried

Deodorant on your face, lime juice in your pits, baking soda under your eyes. … Just when you thought the world of beauty vlogging couldn’t get any weirder, there’s this: The drama surrounding Marina Joyce, a British YouTuber whose recent bizarre on-camera behavior has so worried many of her 880,000 subscribers that the 19-year-old’s mental state is now the subject of international press coverage.

The panic-stricken fans — set off by Joyce’s latest videos, in which she appears to have undergone a complete personality change — started a massive Twitter campaign, #SaveMarinaJoy. The biggest inspiration for worry was her most recent video, an eerie two minutes in which she models a series of rumpled gowns by StyleWe in an oddly spaced-out manner, keeps repeating herself, sports bruises up and down her arms, and is clearly being directed by someone off camera.

So what are concerned fans trying to save Joyce from, exactly? At least one of the following, according to theories proposed by her video scrutinizers: drug addiction, an abusive relationship, a kidnapper, a cult, ISIS, or “something diabolical.” The more skeptical commenters believe she’s acting differently simply to get attention and grow her fan base.

Joyce’s most recent troubling video, called “Date Outfit Ideas” (above), was published on July 22 and has more than four million views. A majority of the more than 55,000 comments focus specifically on what could be going on with Joyce — who certainly appears more confident, coherent, and present in her older videos, during which she instructs viewers on techniques including how to create glitter eyes, “big doll eye makeup,” and super-long eyelashes.

“I’m scared for her,” said one commenter, while another added, “Someone is controlling her.” Others pointed out moments in the video when a finger can be seen as someone instructs her where to stand, and that bars can supposedly be seen on the windows of the house behind her. Many claim she can be heard whispering, “Help me.”

One person said, “This girl needs our help, I’ve been watching her old vids and recent vids, she’s changed completely, she’s been manipulated, let’s help her… she repeats herself, people with schizophrenia have a high risk for drug addiction.” Another claimed to be her neighbor, publishing her address and writing, “I knocked on her door today and some guy who I don’t know answered. I asked to see her and he told me to f*** off and pulled a knife out!”

Many of her former fans have gone beyond commenting, instead creating their very own YouTube videos as a way to deconstruct what they see as Joyce’s public unraveling.

“People have been bailing and unsubscribing like crazy, mostly because the style of her videos has changed, her confidence is completely gone — I would even argue, just from comparing videos from a year ago or even six months ago, that her micro-expressions have changed,” said Jesse Spots in “The Marina Joyce Horror,” his 16-minute take on the situation. “So of course all of her viewers think that she’s on drugs or that she’s in an abusive relationship.” A video she made to address the controversy, Spots said, is “a total cover-up” and “even more crying for help.”

In that video, posted a week ago, Joyce rambles, repeats herself, and spouts disconcertingly nonsensical theories about why her fan base seems to have turned against her. “Stop saying I’ve changed,” she pleads, “because I haven’t!”

On Facebook, Marina’s mother, Cheryl Joyce, says her daughter is not in an abusive relationship.

And on Twitter on Tuesday, Joyce’s local police even got involved, taking to Twitter to confirm that the teen is “safe and well.”

That tweet was followed by one from Joyce herself on Wednesday morning, in which she says, “I’m TOTALLY fine guys, I am feeling very good today and it’s actually so heartwarming to see so many people care about me.” She also offered up a livestreaming video on Wednesday morning, which was disjointed and strange.

Her latest correspondence is a tweet, from Wednesday afternoon, in which she updated a Tuesday tweet inviting anyone and everyone to an upcoming “sober” “morning party” in the London neighborhood of Bethnal Green. That set people off even more, with many saying it was a possible “lure for a terrorist attack,” and a “sketchy” trap to get people to a “rough area.” Anyway … now that invitation is off.

“Hey guys because of recent events, not doing the meet up Wednesday — but I’m going to the meet on the 6th Saturday instead so meet me there!” she tweeted. Let the games begin. Or end — please. We will certainly keep you updated.

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