Yahoo News YouTuber Marina Joyce Sparks ISIS Fears With Bizarre Online Behaviour
If you have been on Twitter at all over the last few hours then you are probably aware of YouTuber Marina Joyce.
The 19-year-old Internet star has sparked worldwide concern after arranging a suspiciously early meet-up with her fans following a strange video where she looked “frightened” and “disorientated”.
Speculation has grown that Marina has been kidnapped, with some going as far as to say that the meet-up was a terror plot from ISIS in a bid to get a large group of people in the same area.
The whole thing started when Marina uploaded an advertisement YouTube video entitled ‘Date Outfit Ideas’, throughout the vid the usually sparky teen looked scared and bewildered, she also repeatedly looked off-camera as though she was being directed on what to do and some viewers claim that she can be heard saying “help me”.
Concerned fans flocked to social media to check on Marina, but she reassured them that she was fine and that there was no need for anybody to call the police, however, she 'favourited’ dozens of tweets that said that she was in danger and needed help.
It all came to a head last night when the vlogger tweeted: “Meet me Bethnal Green at 6:30am if you would like to join partying with me at that event ^-^ bring a friend so you dont get lost [SIC].”
Meet me Bethnal Green at 6:30am if you would like to join partying with me at that event ^-^ bring a friend so you dont get lost
— Marina Rose Joyce (@MarinaJoyce7) July 26, 2016
Twitter users immediately warned others against going to the meet-up, with the early start serving as a red flag that it might actually be a sinister ploy:
Please please do not attend @MarinaJoyce7’s meet up tomorrow morning. I’d hate for anyone to be in danger #savemarinajoyce x
— Alfie Deyes (@PointlessBlog) July 27, 2016
THERE IS A FREAKING GUN IN HER ROOM ??????????????????? SHE IS NOT OKAY I REPEAT SHE IS NOT OKAY #savemarinajoyce pic.twitter.com/J8EF9qps65
— n a t e (@dangerousnat) July 27, 2016
[[ If that Isis threat is true… They could be using her to lure people in. Don’t go. Pray she’s okay, but stay safe. #savemarinajoyce
— Rick Flag (@JoelKinncman) July 27, 2016
@MarinaJoyce7 !!. Few days ago, Munich attacks, teens were lured to McDonalds via Facebook. Just a warning. Stay vigilant! #savemarinajoyce
— blahblah (@blahbla98154673) July 26, 2016
EVERYONE IN LONDON NEEDS TO BE SMART AND VIGILANT. STAY SAFE. ISIS SAID LONDON IS NEXT FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS #SaveMarinaJoyce #London
— 07.26.15 (@FanArmy1D) July 27, 2016
lowkey think this whole #savemarinajoyce is a plot by Isis to start another attack
— adyson (@addieetaylor) July 27, 2016
One brave individual went to Bethanl Green at the designated time and livestreamed the area, with almost one million viewers being left equally relieved and disappointed when absolutely nothing happened.
Police were inundated with phonecalls from Marina’s followers urging them to check that she was okay, and her local authority tweeted in the early hours of the morning, writing: “Officers have visited YouTube user Marina Joyce.
"She is safe and well.”
Marina returned to Twitter at 9am this morning, writing: “Im TOTALLY fine guys, i am feeling very good today and its actually so heartwarming to see so many people care about me [SIC]”.
She then added that she was planning to do a Livestream later in the day.
However, some fans are still concerned:
I can’t get her whisper saying “help me” out of my head and I’m in tears. I’m so scared rn, someone please help her #savemarinajoyce
— 3 DAYS!◡̈∞DRN∞◡̈ (@DaringDiego) July 27, 2016
it’s 4am where I am and I’m up stressing about a girl I didn’t even know existed until 12 hours ago. #savemarinajoyce
— focused syd (@glowupjacob) July 27, 2016
Don’t believe she is okay based off what is tweeted from her acc. Her likes are totally different. #savemarinajoyce pic.twitter.com/ivOP84Fuuc
— riley (@damnitsriley) July 27, 2016
when she says she’s okay but likes tweets saying “like this if you’re in danger” #savemarinajoyce
— VIXELLA (@Vixella) July 27, 2016
Others are convinced that it was all a big publicity stunt, with the paid advertisement YouTube video in which she exhibited the strange behaviour being viewed almost three million times so far, compared to the average of 500k that her other videos get.
She has also gained a stupendous amount of followers from the entire incident and her name was one of the top worldwide Twitter trends, with people across the globe learning about her for the first time:
worried about her safety but also thinking this might be some sort of publicity stunt… #savemarinajoyce
— Ashley (@lilblondielocks) July 27, 2016
I’m not trying to be disrespectful but what if this is a publicity stunt? #savemarinajoyce
— Chris (@ChrisZenith_) July 27, 2016
if this is fake, or a publicity stunt I will never trust what I see on the internet ever again #savemarinajoyce
— cass (@cassieeswann) July 27, 2016
This could all very well be a sick publicity stunt which has apparently gone really well #savemarinajoyce
— Alastair (@sonofbelial) July 27, 2016
I think this whole #SaveMarinaJoyce thing is a publicity stunt but hey that’s just me
— dZ Chip [SG07] (@chippitydoooda) July 27, 2016
Then there are those who are convinced that Marina is actually on drugs, with fellow YouTuber Sam Pepper tweeting: “Anyone who knows Marina Joyce knows she has a serious drug addiction.
"She needs help, but in the form of rehab.”
Others agreed:
This whole marina joyce issue is literally just her using hard drugs she’s showing all signs of drug abuse no need to bring Isis into this
— someone (@TrixTricksss) July 27, 2016
Police say she’s ok, her liked tweets say otherwise. People are going over the top with these theories. She’s on drugs. #savemarinajoyce
— a (@alexrobyn13) July 27, 2016
i don’t think she’s been kidnapped, but i do believe she is in a very bad place whether it’s mental health, drugs or abuse #savemarinajoyce
— Georgia (@negansgirI) July 26, 2016
Marina continues to use social media to insist that she is absolutely fine, whatever is going on we hope that she is getting the support that she needs.
