It’s been a rough few months for YouTube star Calum McSwiggan.
In June, the 26-year-old internet celebrity claimed he was the victim of a violent antigay hate crime outside the Abbey in West Hollywood that allegedly left him “with three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead.”
“Last night was the worst night of my life and I’m really struggling to find the words to talk about it,” he said in an Instagram post. “I’ve never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye.”
Related: Popular Gay YouTuber Calum McSwiggan Brutally Beaten Outside The Abbey In West Hollywood
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Sources at West Hollywood’s Sheriff’s Station, however, were quick to refute McSwiggan’s claims.
Captain Holly Perez said McSwiggan was examined in the parking lot of Pavilions grocery store on Santa Monica Boulevard the night of the alleged attack, and that he showed absolutely no signs of any injuries. Not just that, but he was seen ripping a rearview mirror off an automobile and scratching the paint on another car. When he was taken to police station holding cell, Perez reported, he allegedly started hitting his face with a telephone receiver. And that’s when he was taken to the hospital.
McSwiggan later admitted to busting his own face with the phone, but, he says, it was only out of desperation. “I knew I had to injure myself to get out of the cell and into a hospital,” he said, “and it was the only solution I could find to get myself out of there.”
McSwiggan was eventually charged with filing a false police report, as well as with vandalizing a car.
Related: UPDATE: Calum McSwiggan Charged With Filing False Report
After missing his first scheduled court appearance because it conflicted with his vacation to Spain, McSwiggan appeared before a Los Angeles court yesterday, where he entered a not guilty plea to both of the charges against him.
Throughout all this, McSwiggan has insisted that the hate crime happened and had voiced frustration over people thinking he’s made the whole thing up.
“Many people are trying to discredit my story but this is the full and entire truth,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Just because there were no visible marks on my face does not mean I was not attacked.”
He continued: “Being accused of being a liar and being called a disgrace to the LGBT+ community, a community I’ve dedicated my life to, is more painful than any hate crime could ever be.”
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for November 7. If convicted, McSwiggan could face up to a year in jail.
Related: Calum McSwiggan Misses L.A. Court Summons For Faking Hate Crime; Instagrams From Spain Instead
joeyty
The fact that this egotistical lying YouTube “star” has defenders and followers doesn’t bode well for mankind.
Xzamilloh
All of his YouTube friends made tweets and Facebook posts defending him, and the two that supposedly were there with him that night but never saw anything made it a mission to attempt to shame others for being skeptical of his story. And then when the police responded refuting his claims, and one of the alleged attackers spoke up, there were no more tweets or mentions of it happening. That’s the part that irked me. You start this whole thing, try to make yourself the victim while attempting to ruin the lives of three other people, and then just pretend like nothing ever happened. These little entitled rich YouTubers living off of Mommy and Daddy’s money. It must be nice.
Theonewhoismany
Really is playing fast and loose with terms such as “celebrity” and “in the public eye”.
scotshot
He must have gone to Trump University.
Aromaeus
Just deport him and make sure he can’t come back to the United States. He’s already got a sex tapes out there maybe he can go into porn.
Jack Meoff
Seriously does anyone even care anymore? He’s just PO’d that the gay community aren’t defending him and saying poor you.
joeyty
@scotshot: “I did not…have sex…with that woman.” (Soon to be the first First Husband ??)
uktnla
I think was all a ploy to get dental work on his gnarly British teeth my an American dentist. It’s like those Chinese women who come to the US to have their babies.
Ogre Magi
Making a fake report of a hate crime is one of the worst things someone can do
damon459
@uktnla: Except for the fact that dental care is basically “free” for citizens in the U.K. and they now have better teeth then most American.. Nice fail with that one….