Police Maintain YouTuber Calum McSwiggan Faked Gay-Bashing

Is social-media celebritydom getting out of hand?
From: NewNowNext

 On Monday, YouTuber Calum McSwiggen claimed he was violently gay-bashed while visiting Los Angeles.

But now police in West Hollywood are questioning the gay social influencer’s story, and have taken him into custody.

Last night was the worst night of my life and I'm really struggling to find the words to talk about it. After one of the most wonderful weekends at VidCon we went out to a gay club to celebrate, and towards the end of the evening I was separated from my friends and beaten up by three guys. The authorities should have been there to help and protect me but instead they treated me like a second class citizen. With three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead, I've never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye. All I can do is thank my wonderful friends @riyadhk, @melaniiemurphy and @douga_ for being with me the whole way. I'd be lost without them. Right now I don't feel that I'm in the right place to talk about this but I will be addressing this fully in the future.

A photo posted by LGBT+ Lifestyle YouTuber ✖️ (@calummcswiggan) on Jun 27, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

Last night was the worst night of my life and I’m really struggling to find the words to talk about it,” McSwiggan posted on Facebook.

“After one of the most wonderful weekends at VidCon we went out to a gay club to celebrate, and towards the end of the evening I was separated from my friends and beaten up by three guys.”

McSwiggan, who went to the Abbey with friends Sunday night, claims he was attacked after leaving the bar, some time around 2:30 a.m.

Police were called, but finding no visible injuries or witnesses, couldn’t confirm McSwiggan’s story.

Check out @MTVUK's snapchat today for a lil' video on why pride means so much to me #Pride2016 #PrideInLondon ❤️💚💛💙💜 pic.twitter.com/KolKd9izyV

— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) June 25, 2016

“The authorities should have been there to help and protect me but instead they treated me like a second class citizen,” McSwiggan wrote on Facebook.

But when he began to vandalize a nearby car, the police arrested McSwiggan and put him in lockup. That’s when, authorities claim, he inflicted his injuries on himself.

After being booked and photographed, Mr. McSwiggan was placed into a cell by himself at West Hollywood Station. Mr. McSwiggan was then observed injuring himself with the handle and receiver to a payphone inside the cell.

Medical personnel were summoned and Mr. McSwiggan was transported to a local hospital for treatment.”

The British 26-year-old maintains he’s telling the truth and lashed out at the police.

“With three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead, I’ve never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye.”

6 months. 3 stone. 46 pounds. I finally feel like myself again. Thank you for all your support ❤️ #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/hEZJfNJodz

— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) June 20, 2016

McSwiggan, who has more than 62,000 subscribers, has used his YouTube channel to talk about LGBT issues and sex, discuss his history of depression and reveal he had appeared in a porn video.

Is this simply a misunderstanding? A scam? Or perhaps a sign that social-media-celebrity culture is getting out of hand?

Fellow YouTuber Riyadh Khalaf, who was reportedly with McSwiggan at the Abbey, has supported his claims. What his exact involvement in the situation is not clear.