A couple of nights ago, I was doing some late-night scrolling on TikTok – desperately avoiding my essay deadlines– only to see a video showing British Youtuber and social media influencer Yung Filly being escorted into a police car in handcuffs in Perth, Australia. When I went to research more, an article from The Guardian reported that the 29-year-old was charged with four counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault involving bodily harm, and one count of impeding a person’s breathing by applying pressure to the neck. The assault is said to have taken place in a hotel room after a nightclub performance on the 28th of September.
Naturally, I opened the comments section of the TikTok to be even more horrified by the wave of ignorance and victim blaming flooding the comment section. This is just a small selection of the hundreds of alarming comments:
“FREE FILLY”
“Don’t believe it I don’t know why”
“In Filly we trust…”
“Most girls do lie. My boy's ex was crazy.”
To begin, it is important to clarify that these are not mere allegations, this man has been formally charged and by the state no less. Yet, even if these were only allegations, it would not justify the dismissive or hostile discourse that has ensued, and one we often see in cases of sexual assault. The fact that this is not just an allegation but a formal charge seems inconsequential to the ‘Filly faithful’, who are alarmingly quick to assume the role of amateur detectives, scouring for any shred of evidence to assert Filly’s innocence. Their conviction appears to be rooted in the belief that this charming, charismatic jokester could not possibly be guilty of such actions. Even more troubling is the broader context in which this behaviour occurs - a pattern many women, myself included, find all too familiar. The public response has been, unfortunately, unsurprising. It reflects a societal norm where women are encouraged to speak out, only to be met with accusations of falsehood or disparaging labels such as ‘liars’ or ‘nutjobs’ the moment they do.
How do people not see the dangerous cycle at play here? Women are already hesitant to report sexual assaults, knowing the likelihood of being met with disbelief. When someone does find the courage to come forward, they are relentlessly vilified, often ridiculed by online commentators who dismiss their claims with slogans like, “In Filly we trust.” Reactions like this shed light on troubling statistics from Rape Crisis for England and Wales, which reveal that 5 in 6 women who are raped never report the crime to the police. When asked why, 40% said because of embarrassment, 38% expressed a lack of faith in police support and 34% feared the process would be humiliating. This harmful cycle in which women are encouraged to report assaults but then face shame and scepticism when they do, resulting in a low number of reports, is both deeply troubling and concerning. Moreover, it fosters an environment where women are continually silenced and justice increasingly feels unattainable.
Even the seemingly innocent comments such as: “NOOOOOO FILLY WAS THE BEST,” are deeply problematic. These remarks shift the focus away from the serious nature of the assault and instead relocate empathy towards the alleged offender, reducing the situation to a matter of popularity. This implies that because he is a celebrity, known for his comedic content and loveable persona, he could not possibly be capable of harming a woman. In reality, it is the power and perceived untouchability surrounding fame that enables so many celebrities to engage in exploitative and unethical acts, in particular sexual harassment and rape, without consequence. Whether intended or not, such comments detract from the victim’s experience and minimise the gravity of the situation, placing undue emphasis on the perpetrator’s public persona and successful career.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t really about whether Yung Filly is guilty or innocent; it’s about the broader societal reaction every time a woman dares to speak out against a man. The instinctive responses which are dismissive, judgemental, and hostile, reveal something deeply concerning about our culture. They show us why so many women feel pressured to remain silent in the face of abuse or assault. But this is not the only problem: the real danger lies in the fact that young boys and men are also seeing these reactions, learning that victim blaming is the norm.
Yung Filly has a vast following on social media platforms, with 1.83M subscribers on YouTube and 3.1M followers on Instagram. His fanbase is primarily made up of teenagers, predominantly young men, who are still in the process of shaping their views on relationships, consent, and gender dynamics. When they witness the online backlash against a woman who speaks out - whether it's victim-blaming, outright disbelief, or calls for punishment - it teaches them a dangerous lesson. They learn that dismissing women’s voices is not only acceptable but expected. They absorb the message that if a woman ‘asks for it’ by, say, entering a hotel room, it’s somehow her fault if things go wrong. It’s a distortion of consent - a harmful mindset that equates a woman’s presence or behaviour with permission.
"At the same time, young girls are watching closely, taking in everything they see. When they witness the vitriol directed at women who dare to speak out, they begin to internalize the belief that their own voices don’t matter. The harsh consequences—public shaming, vilification, and isolation—serve as a warning, teaching them to fear the act of sharing their truth. Over time, the message from society becomes undeniable: speaking out is dangerous and staying silent is the safer choice."
We have to recognise this cycle for what it is: a harmful tradition of victim blaming that needs to be challenged and dismantled. The conversations we have now can either perpetuate this cycle or help break it—and it's long past time that we choose the latter.
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