Entertainment
From Local Gym to Viral Empire
At the center of Diamond Gym’s social media rise to fame is Haddy Abdel, whose approach to social growth isn’t rooted in hype, gimmicks, or temporary attention. His focus has been on documenting the legendary diamond gym’s culture in a way it wasn’t before. Their unique style of intense gym reels that capture the middle of some of the most insane gym workouts you’ve ever seen has created a huge social buzz for them. Their success has come with many critics but in the words of Wallo267 “your haters are your marketing team”. And Diamond Gym has had some incredible marketing.
Alongside him is the OG of the gym, Unc, who represents the grounding force of the gym. Many refer to the New Jersey gym as “the most dangerous gym in America” and a large part of that has to do with Unc. He demands a high level of commitment, effort and grit in every work out session regardless of who is coming by. The culture is largely influenced by Unc’s rarer as a fire fighter and he faces deadly situations on the regular. Unc applies that same attitude to the gym with his famous, “now we die” catch phrase.
Likewise, Haddy shared a similar sentiment with his “Till The Death” catch phrase which would go onto to become the brand that this whole movement is built on.
The Brand
Diamond isn’t loud for the sake of attention. Members seem to show up not just to just to work out but for the sense of community. In a recent workout they did with comedian, Matt Rife, Unc went on to explain why people decide to join their gym:
To have a real friend group is a blessing… a lot of them [Diamond Gym members] are dealing with things, whether it’s father issues, school problems, taking care of loved ones, or life stress. Their support system manifested in the gym.”
Diamond has naturally developed into a community where discipline is normal, conversations have depth, egos get checked, and brotherhood actually means something.
From Physical Gym to Media Ecosystem
Diamond Gym’s impact doesn’t stop at the four walls of the gym.
Through lifestyle content, celebrity collabs, gym moments and conversations Diamond has unintentionally built a media empire. Their media page @train.to.failure currently has over 441K followers on Instagram, Unc instagram @smthedon191 has over 468K followers on Instagram, and Haddy has over 1 Million followers on his page @haddy_abdel with over 360K subscribers on his Youtube where all the long form Diamond gym videos are uploaded.
TTD The Brand
Alongside the gym comes Till The Death, the clothing brand and cultural emblem born out of the Diamond ecosystem.
Now, if you pay close attention to the Diamond gym videos you’ll notice that they’re very intentional about their product placement. In every video those participating in the workouts are wearing TTD merch especially the celebrity guest. From Alex Eubank, to The Tren Twins, to social media fitness star, Ashton Hall. They’ve all worn TTD merch while working out in Diamond’s gym.
Most celebrity guests bring their own camera crews so the content captured in the gym sessions are mutually beneficial for everybody but TTD is able to get more than just content. Through collaborations their merch brand is able to establish even more notoriety, credibility and desire.
Haddy’s business partner and fellow diamond’s gym member, Anthony Lorenzo, has played a huge role in the brand’s success as well. Addressing some internet rumors in the summer time due to a fallout with one of their previous member, Skolla Da Legend, Anthony addressed his role with the brand.
People associate the clothing brand with hardwork, grit and those who get after it in the gym. That is something people want to feel and the sales have showed. Haddy and his team have shared several reels showing how quickly the merch drops sale out every time.
They’ve been able to master what many have yet to, how to monetize attention.
Why It Matters
Whether you watch workout videos or you’re a diamond gym fan is not the point.
What diamond has shown us as consumers is a master class in marketing, branding and ownership. It’s easy to promote some else brand but to scale your own takes intention. They’ve used their virality to attract big names and indirectly promote their brand. Very subtly but very efficient.
Diamond isn’t trying to be part of a moment.
They’re trying to build something that outlives one.
Take notes.
Former Beast Industries employee Lorrayne Mavromatis, who worked at MrBeast’s (Jimmy Donaldson) entertainment company from 2022 to 2025, filed a civil lawsuit in US federal court in North Carolina, headquarters of Beast Industries. In her lawsuit Mavromatis is seeking damages from the organization for alleged sexual harassment, gender-discrimination, workplace violations and wrongful termination. Mavromatis says she was fired after returning from maternity leave. She also alleges that she was demoted before being fired. Beast Industries has denied the claims of the lawsuit, calling them “categorically false”.
This is not Beast Industries’ first controversy with former employees and associates, as the organization (and MrBeast himself) previously cut ties with an original cast member after she was accused of grooming a minor (an investigation by an independent law firm later found no evidence of misconduct, according to the New York Times). MrBeast has also been accused of fostering a hostile work environment, going as far back as 2018, according to multiple reports. In two separate instances, two former video editors accused him of having a toxic workplace. Additionally, five former contestants on MrBeast and Amazon Prime’s reality competition show Beast Games sued, alleging a variety of different forms of mistreatment, including sexual harassment. That lawsuit is still ongoing.
In Mavromatis’ lawsuit, she alleges a pattern of discriminatory culture at Beast Industries. Mavromatis spoke with Vulture about her experience at the company and her lawsuit. Beast Industries denies the claims of the lawsuit. A representative from Beast Industries told BBC Newsbeat that the claims by Mavromatis were “categorically false” and described the lawsuit as a “clout-chasing complaint”. Donaldson himself has declined to comment on the lawsuit at present.
Mavromatis, an influencer, said that she moved to Greenville, North Carolina with her husband, and was hired as Head of Instagram at Beast Industries. In her first year, she was promoted twice, making her the only woman executive in the company. According to Vulture, the allegations of a toxic environment date back to the company’s original employee handbook, and also being “excluded from otherwise all-male meetings, demeaned in front of colleagues, harassed”, in addition to what Mavromatis claims were retaliations (including being demoted and then fired) for complaints about such behavior. According to Fast Company, a Beast Industries representative said that it has messages, documents, and witness testimony contradicting her claims
In the lawsuit, Mavromatis charges that sexual harassment of female employees was “both condoned and/or perpetuated by their supervisors”, citing personal examples including claims that Beast Industries then-CEO, James Warren (also MrBeast’s cousin), told her that she was “a beautiful woman and her appearance had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy”, and also makes multiple claims about “strange” behavior by Donaldson himself, and additional inappropriate behavior by Warren in one-on-one meetings.
In 2023, because of allegations of a producer making “unwelcome comments about their appearance and close touching”, Mavromatis complained to Donaldson’s mother, then-head of Human Resources Sue Parisher. According to the lawsuit, a company-commissioned investigation found the claims ‘unsubstantiated,’ which Mavromatis disputes.
The lawsuit alleges that afterwards, Mavromatis was demoted to social media manager for merchandise at Beast Industries. In 2025, after finding out she was pregnant, Mavromatis also claims that her employment rights were violated when she asked for maternity leave, a claim that Beast Industries denies. The company responded with her signature on an employee handbook that they said included parental-leave policies. Additionally, Mavromatis says that her mother filmed her joining a work call from her hospital bed while she was in labor, and that she was informally working again just three weeks after giving birth, including a difficult trip to her home country, Brazil. Beast Industries says that Mavromatis “volunteered” for the work trip. Finally, she also claimed that she was fired just three weeks after fully returning to work, and alleges mental health issues including depression and some suicidal thoughts.
Mavromatis told Vulture that fans of MrBeast “are only seeing what Jimmy wants to be shown, and that’s just this amazing philanthropic guy that cares about people and just has this big heart. But the people that are there helping him be who he is today, working countless hours in the back, they’re not taken care of.” This is one of multiple allegations of a hostile work environment and inappropriate acts by staff and cast members working with MrBeast. It is also another all-too common claim related to misconduct and mistreatment in the “creator economy”.
Beast Industries, in addition to denying her claims, told the BBC that the company “had ‘extensive’ evidence including messages, documents and witness testimony that ‘unequivocally refutes’ Mavromantis’ claims.’ A representative later added: “We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us.” According to Deadline, lawyers for Beast Industries are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Dutch influencer Joann van den Herik went viral this week after she called Coachella the “influencer Olympics” on TikTok, describing her experience of the festival as one less about the music and more about creators fighting to get the best angles while staring at their phones. She is not wrong. One week into the 25th anniversary edition of Coachella and it’s clear that the creator economy ran the whole thing. Here’s what happened and what to expect this weekend.
The most significant creator moment of the weekend belonged to Addison Rae, who played the main Coachella Stage on Saturday evening in what was her first full-length solo set at the festival. Rae, who started as a TikTok creator before pivoting to music, performed ahead of headliner Justin Bieber and delivered what she called “The Fame and Glory Show,” a reworked version of her recent tour. The set opened with “Diet Pepsi” and built toward a standout “Aquamarine” performance alongside Maddie Ziegler. Rae took a moment to address years of skepticism about her transition from social media to pop music, telling the crowd that her supporters should know she loves them, and insulting her detractors. She returns for weekend two on April 18.
One of Coachella’s most significant events from the first week of 2026 was Justin Bieber’s contentious, YouTube-themed performance. With a laptop, a microphone, and the occasional guitarist, Bieber spent part of his set projecting his own videos onto a big screen and singing along-side them. Bieber’s stripped-down show was him having fun with his own viral moments and concerns for his well-being after some publicized antics, tour cancellations and health concerns. Leaked footage of rehearsals for Bieber’s performance caused resold ticket prices for Coachella to spike, with prices peaking at $4,000 for tickets that originally cost $650, as Bieber is scheduled to perform again this Saturday.
Meanwhile, high profile Twitch streamer Lacy (Nick Fosco) brought his camera to Coachella over the weekend. The 23-year-old, who is ranked among Twitch’s top 15 streamers in 2026, has been on a collision course with live event restrictions for weeks. In late March, Lacy and fellow streamer Sketch were ejected from a courtside seat at the NCAA March Madness Elite Eight game between Iowa and Illinois after security caught them livestreaming the game, which violates the NCAA’s broadcast rights agreements. The tension between streamers who want to broadcast everything and rights holders who have paid billions for exclusivity is becoming one of the defining conflicts in live entertainment. At Coachella, where YouTube holds the official livestream rights across seven stages, that tension is even more pronounced. Creators attending the festival can post clips and vlogs, but live broadcasting of performances runs into legal territory fast, and the festival is known for being stringent with limiting unofficial live-streamed and clipped videos.
Off the stage, the influencer economy was operating at full capacity. Content creator Sam Mintesnot documented her attempt to get into the festival without a ticket, posting across her platforms in hopes of scoring a brand invitation. It worked. YouTube invited her two days before the festival started. That kind of hustle is now a recognized pathway into Coachella for creators who do not have the budget for passes that start at $820 for a single day on resale. In another example, Sydney Morgan, a creator known for special effects makeup, bought her own ticket and traveled to Indio with a group of fellow creators, renting an Airbnb selected specifically for how it would look on camera and built a filming itinerary around the group’s content schedules. They arrived a full day before the music started so they could shoot.
YouTube leaned hard into the creator angle this year. The platform’s “Watch With” feature returned, letting creators provide live commentary and reactions alongside the official Coachella livestream from their own channels. The company also hosted creators at its Backstage Studio on the festival grounds, where influencers like Alix Earle were photographed. Earle, who launched her skin care brand Reale Actives just weeks before the festival, attended multiple brand events and posted outfit content that went viral almost immediately.
The brand activation circuit surrounding Coachella has become its own festival, with brands like Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s Poosh, Neutrogena, TikTok Shop and many other marketplaces and companies hosting events. Reports also surfaced of brands rescinding influencer invitations at the last minute, and multiple creators said their Airbnb bookings were canceled by hosts looking to rebook at higher prices during festival weekend.
Weekend two begins April 17, with the same lineup running a second time. Addison Rae will perform again. The creators will return with fresh outfits and new content plans. And somewhere in the crowd, someone will be livestreaming something they probably should not be.
Snapchat rolled out the yellow carpet for their inaugural award show, the Snappys? The event was hosted at the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California. For the Snappys, the Snapchat building was converted into a theatre and event space, hosting top content creators invited to the event and nominated for awards. The Snappys were streamed live last night on the Snapchat app. So who took home awards and what bumps in the road happened at the event?
Matt Friend, a comedian known for his impressions, hosted the awards show. Friend has performed at previous Snapchat events and has an active following on the platform. In his monologue, Friend made jokes poking fun at the recent abundance of award shows in his monologue (TikTok had their first award show in December) and at content recycled between social media platforms.
Kehlani was scheduled to perform but did not attend, cancelling for personal reasons. Some top influencers did attend the event including nominees like David Dobrik, Dixie D’Amelio, JoJo Siwa and Harry Jowsey, but turnout was lower than expected. Roughly half of all Snappy winners did not even attend the event. Lifetime Achievement winner DJ Khaled accepted his achievement award virtually, also announcing Kehlani’s scrapped performance. Additionally, some social media users reported issues trying to watch the show live on the app.
Despite the setbacks, the award show was still a relative success, with Dobrik, Kylie Jenner and former NBA player Dwight Howard winning awards. Dobrik dedicated his win to Snapchat Head of Content Partnerships Jim Shepherd. Shepherd was quoted in Snapchat’s press release for the award show toting the platform’s commitment to creators. During the event, it was announced that paid creator subscriptions would be available to all Snap users. Winners took home a golden statue of the company’s ghost logo à la the Oscars.
2026 Snappys Winners
Best Use of Creative Tools – Zaina Sesay
Best Storyteller – Rachel Levin
Spotlight MVP – AdamW
Top Lens Creator – Mohamad el Asmar
Community Builder – Cheyenne Davis
One To Watch – Ella Moncrief
Off-Platform Buzz – Nic Vans
Comeback Star- Kylie Jenner
Breakout Creator – Ashton Hall
Lifetime Achievement – DJ Khaled
Creator of the Year – David Dobrik
Top Beauty Creator – Leilani Green
Top Lifestyle Creator – Ari Fletcher
Top Athlete Creator – Dwight Howard
Top Music Creator – Leon Thomas
Top Food Creator – Jack Mancuso
Top Fashion Creator – Ashley Graham
Top Comedy Creator – LaLa Milan
Top On-Camera Correspondent – Lauren Ashley Beck
Top Gamer Creator – Dimucc
Top Family Creator – Justus and Kayla Tucker
Top Fitness Creator – Katie Austin
