THE Try Guys have released a major update regarding the timeline of ex-member Ned Fulmer’s affair and why some of their videos are now “unreleasable.”
The remaining three Try Guys – Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang – shared an update in a YouTube video, aiming to provide a timeline of events about Ned, as well as “some transparency into our decision making.”
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Before diving in, the three also made it known that there were legal issues to consider that impacted how much they could share in their latest video.
They begin by stating that it was Labor Day Weekend when fans alerted them of the “romantic public behavior” that Ned and “an employee” were engaging in.
“We reached out to check on that employee,” the guys said.
“Ned confirmed the reports and since confirmed that this had been going on for some time, which was obviously very shocking to us.
“We just want you to know that we had no idea this was going on.”
The guys continue to say that a three week process then began, involving employment lawyers, corporate lawyers, HR, and PR.
“From the jump, we were acutely aware of just how contrary this was to the values of the company we’ve built and those of everyone who works here,” they continue.
“This is something we took very seriously.
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“We refused to sweep things under the rug. That is not who we are and is not what we stand for.”
Ned was immediately removed from work activities and an HR person was notified to conduct a “thorough review of the facts,” the guys said.
They’ve taken steps to remove Ned from releases pending the outcome of that review.
The guys said they’ve also worked to remove Ned’s section from videos, digitally remove him from others, and have chosen not to feature him in merch. They go on to give “major props” to their editing team for the handling of that situation.
‘FULLY UNRELEASABLE’
“There are several videos that we’ve deemed as fully unreleasable,” they continue.
“You will never see them and that is due to his involvement. And that’s a decision that has cost us lots of money.”
The guys say they won’t be able to recoup that money, but that they stand by their decision.
They could not talk about the results of the review in detail, but did say that they found Ned had engaged in “conduct unbecoming of our team.”
“We knew that we could not move forward with him.
On September 16, the three remaining guys signed forms removing Ned as a manager and an employee.
“We chose not to rush into the announcement for a few reasons,” they said.
“Namely, there are real people who have been affected. And while we consider this a company matter, there’s just also a family at the center of this.”
‘INCREDIBLY SHOCKED AND DEEPLY HURT’
The guys said they had been working on a public statement, but because of “rapidly accelerating speculation,” they knew they had to act sooner.
“We were obviously incredibly shocked and deeply hurt by all of this,” they said.
“We feel saddened, not just personally, but on behalf of our staff and our fans who believed in us.
“I don’t know that we’ll ever be able to fully articulate the pain we feel at this moment.
“We’re sorry that this ever happened, and we don’t know what more to say.”
The guys also made mention of the 20 staff members they employ, saying they’ve turned their focus to them in light of the negative attention the brand has received.
“Our primary focus right now is making sure they feel comfortable and proud coming to work.
“The work they do never ceases to astound us.”
‘EXERCISE KINDNESS’
The guys go on to ask for respect and privacy for those involved.
They made special mention of the fact that “the internet has a tendency to be a lot harsher towards women than men.
“So please, we ask that you exercise kindness.”
The guys finish their statement by reiterating that there may be changes going forward and they’re currently going one day at a time.
“We look forward to introducing you to the next era of the Try Guys ahead.”
‘WE DO NOT SEE A PATH FORWARD TOGETHER’
Originally, the four men created The Try Guys while they were all working for BuzzFeed but then separated from the media company in 2018.
Since creating their own platform, the YouTube stars have amassed a following of nearly eight million subscribers.
Speculation of a rift between Ned and his co-stars first began when fans noticed he was edited out from their most recent videos and podcast.
Amid these fan observations, a Reddit user then posted and deleted a blurry video of a couple making out in a New York club.
Both the man and woman in the video are unidentifiable, but the user claimed the man was Ned and the woman was not his wife Ariel.
Alex Herring, an associate producer of the popular YouTube group, was allegedly caught on video kissing Ned.
The Try Guys announced in a statement shortly after that they were firing Ned.
Their statement read: “Ned Fulmer is no longer working with The Try Guys.
“As a result of a thorough internal review, we do not see a path forward together.
“We thank you for your support as we navigate this change.”
‘I LOST FOCUS’
Ned and Alex are believed to have met after she began working as an associate producer for the YouTube group.
He had regularly shared updates from his seemingly idyllic life, posting pictures of his young sons and calling himself “Ariel Fulmer’s husband” in his Instagram bio.
In the wake of the cheating allegations and after the Try Guys announced they were parting ways with Ned, he and his wife both posted separate statements.
In his Instagram apology post, Ned wrote: “Family should have always been my priority, but I lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship.”
The YouTube star continued: “I’m sorry for any pain that my actions may have caused to the guys and the fans but most of all to Ariel.”
He concluded: “The only thing that matters right now is my marriage and my children, and that’s where I am going to focus my attention.”
Ariel Fulmer posted her own Instagram statement, writing: “Thanks to everyone who has reached out to me – it means a lot.
“Nothing is more important to me and Ned than our family, and all we request right now is that you respect our privacy for the sake of our kids.”
Ned and Ariel have both continued to post on their Instagram Stories, showing a night at home with their two boys.
Ned and Ariel got hitched in 2012 and welcomed their first son, Wes, in 2018.
Their second son, Finley, was born in 2020.