FouseyTube Updates Fans After Manic Episode Triggered Months-Long Social Media Absence

At the height of his career, Yousef ‘FouseyTube’ Erakat was one of YouTube’s most synonymous stars, with massively-viewed pranks and vlogs that ultimately netted the 28-year-old upwards of 10 million subscribers and even starring roles in digital feature films.

However, since this summer, Erakat has all but disappeared from the internet after a very public battle with mental health issues. In April, Erakat announced that he was checking into rehab for addiction, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Then, in September, two months after attempting to organize a Los Angeles concert in just seven days that was dubiously purported to feature Snoop Dogg and Drake — and which ultimately resulted in police asking the 1,500 attendees to depart the venue due to a bomb threat — Erakat announced he was giving up his YouTube channel and turning it into a community platform that would feature nascent creators. He also spoke of developing suicidal thoughts due to negative YouTube comments, reports The Verge.

On New Year’s Eve, Erakat posted an update message for followers, sharing that he had suffered a manic episode over the summer after stopping prescribed medications and deciding, on his own, to resume Adderall. “In a single summer, I managed to lose all my money, cars, public respect, self-respect, love, worth, and even almost my parents’ home,” he shared on Instagram. “I managed to flush a decade’s worth of work down the toilet and was back to square one.”

Despite the update post, Erakat says he’s still not ready to return to social media full-time. During his hiatus, he went on a spiritual retreat (where he ultimately returned early due to his mental state), participated in “countless therapy sessions,” tried different medications, and enrolled in outpatient rehab. “Even writing this, I am not in the right mental state nor healthy enough to be on social media,” he shared. “I am still on the path to recovery, with no end date in sight.”

You can check out the update in its entirety below: