Update, Monday, October 3: The Try Guys have posted their first YouTube video as an official trio. In a five-and-a-half-minute video titled “what happened,†the remaining Guys — Eugene Lee Yang, Zach Kornfeld, and Keith Habersberger — spoke about the timeline behind the departure of resident wife guy Ned Fulmer, who has admitted to a “consensual workplace relationship.†“We just want you to know that we had no idea this was going on,†Habersberger said, addressing rumors that the trio has long been aware of Fulmer’s misconduct.
The Try Guys say they were informed by fans on Labor Day weekend that Fulmer had engaged in “public romantic behavior†with an employee. According to Habersberger, Fulmer then confirmed the reports and confessed that “this had been going on for some time.†This immediately triggered a three-week process involving employment lawyers, corporate lawyers, HR, and PR. During that time, Fulmer was edited out of videos and removed from all workplace activities. After the review concluded, Yang, Kornfeld, and Habersberger signed a written consent as the members of Second Try LLC to approve the removal of Fulmer as a manager and employee on September 16.
“We were always planning on a public statement, and we’re working towards that with our team,†Yang said. “But in light of rapidly accelerating speculation, we knew we couldn’t wait any longer. We were obviously incredibly shocked and deeply hurt by all of this. This is someone who we’d built a brand and a company with for eight years.†Some videos with Fulmer have been deemed unreleasable, and the Try Guys say they are proud of the costly decision. They closed their message with a reminder that the internet has a tendency to be “a lot harsher towards women than men†and made a request for kindness and privacy for the families and people involved in the situation. “That’s it for now. Again, more to come,†Yang said. “Some things may change. We are just sort of figuring it out all one day at a time.â€
Update, Thursday, September 29: Ned Fulmer may be an ex–Try Guy, but that doesn’t make him an ex-husband. On Wednesday, September 28, Fulmer’s wife Ariel told paparazzi that the couple is “working on working things out.†She got into a Tesla with Ned, and both were wearing their wedding rings. Meanwhile, the Try Guys podcast is taking a week off “to formulate our thoughts before recording the episode.†Now how’s about everyone who’s so invested in this Try Guy drama try touching grass.
Original story published September 27 follows.
“Don’t try it, little boy.†This wise motto was once spoken by the great scholar Coco Montrese, but for eight years, four little boys have taken the exact opposite approach, crafting an entire media empire out of, well, trying it. But for the first time since their early BuzzFeed days, the Try Guys have split up the original band. “Ned Fulmer is no longer working with The Try Guys,†the YouTubers, who left BuzzFeed in 2019, posted to their Twitter account on September 27. “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.â€
What on earth happened? For starters, the four Guys who make up the group are Fulmer, Zach Kornfeld, Eugene Lee Yang, and Keith Habersberger. Rumors swirled on Twitter and Reddit on September 26, asserting that Fulmer, whose whole deal is being a wife guy, was cheating on said wife, Ariel. Ariel herself exists in the Try Guys universe as one of the Try Wives, who have their own podcast and YouTube series, “Try Wives Wine Time.†Fans suspected that he was having a dalliance with Try Guys producer Alex Herring. Recently, Fulmer was edited out of videos, and after the news broke that the group was going in a new direction, he posted an apology to Instagram. “Family should have always been my priority, but I lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship,†it reads. “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 then adds that he will focus more attention on his marriage and children.
Ariel also posted to her own Instagram, asking for privacy. It’s a morality tale the internet keeps having to learn again and again: Don’t bestow made-up values on parasocial celebrity relationships, and don’t make “wife guy†your whole personality.
This post has been updated.