This article contains topics of self-harm and domestic violence; please take care while reading.
If you’re a social media connoisseur, the name Robbie Harvey has likely been popping up on your platforms over the last few days. Of course, you might have already been familiar with the name if you follow anything from true crime cases to adoring husbands.
However, Harvey’s recent videos have earned him new followers, some of whom aren’t convinced that he’s the “nice guy” he’s been painting himself as.
Why is Robbie Harvey being talked about right now?
Harvey’s recent spike in popularity goes hand in hand with his coverage of the Catherine Youssef Kassenoff case, something that he has been outspoken about. He’s long used his platform to almost serve as a hub for updates and background information. At first, things seemed promising, but the closer viewers look at his videos, the more problematic material gets noticed.
Back in 2022, Harvey was at the center of a news story that painted him as a family man focused on sharing immense joy within his home life. Another highlight of the article was that Harvey was also baring his soul in sharing his wife’s cancer diagnosis:
“To go through what we’re going through right now with the cancer, God was just preparing me to say I need you to through this, so you can help lead people around the world.”
In recent days, however, the seemingly positive and reformed husband has become a pretty controversial figure, and a few TikTok videos do a great job of explaining exactly what changed. There’s not simply one moment in which Harvey made a bad decision, said the wrong thing, or acted in a way that made people immediately change their perception of him. Instead, it’s almost a situation where it feels like the wool is finally being lifted off of his followers’ eyes; and what they’re seeing isn’t all good.
In a series of now-deleted videos, Harvey made comments about weight that were unsettling for many viewers. He also shared two apology videos after removing the first, but all three have now been deleted, and it’s left a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Narcissism self-diagnosis
As Janine mentions, Harvey had an interview with Vice, and one of Harvey’s points of discussion was his self-diagnosis of narcissism, which he explains as follows:
“I realised I didn’t want my children to be like me, and I didn’t want my daughter to marry someone like me. Narcissism affected my whole life. It’s hard to change a narcissist, but I think more awareness has brought more attention from the medical community. Research is suggesting that narcissists can change, but it takes a lot of work. It’s very hard.”
At times, it appears that Harvey has done the work, but as more people uncover his videos and the way he addresses topics that are sensitive in nature, it also seems like “doing the work” might be a cover for finding a new way to paint a version of himself to cover up another one.
“Trauma farming”
An interesting term used in the video from Janine is the term “trauma farming,” which she says Harvey does a lot of. This term relates to people who attempt to use the pain and trauma of others for a boost in their content/creativity.
In part two of her Harvey explainer videos, she urges us to look at the true motives of Harvey’s videos, questioning everything from his motives to attach himself quickly to “high-value” content (he makes money from his videos, much of which goes to fund his wife’s cancer treatments) and the way he’s highlighting the abuse of Kassenoff and her children in several videos.
They are all incredibly hard to watch. In fact, Janine actually issues a challenge for Harvey — stop posting videos showing the abuse.
Lack of trigger warnings
She also brings up an excellent point for survivors of domestic violence, and it’s that many of (we’ve not watched them all) Harvey’s videos do not come with a trigger warning or content warning before he simply hops into sometimes graphic stories of abuse. If someone is scrolling through social channels and happens upon one of his videos, it could cause them to be faced with something painful and traumatic without a moment to stop the onslaught.
How do social media users feel about Harvey?
A quick search of Harvey’s name reveals that many posts on social media say something about Harvey has always felt off.
Some TikTokers are pointing out that even in some of Harvey’s “advice” videos, he has a habit of victim blaming and asking the wrong questions, offering the wrong help, and pushing a narrative that can’t be welcomed by some abuse/trauma victims. It does not matter how pretty the words are packaged. Some also say that what his mouth doesn’t say, his face will.
This video has a voice change that, as many comments suggest, makes it more tolerable to watch, but it’s painful at the same time. For anyone who has struggled with their weight or with backhanded compliments or encouragement from a partner, Robbie’s not doing himself any favors with the statements he makes with these videos.
Some social media users still support Harvey and his content, with many going back and forth with him in the comments section of his videos on TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
The situation is still unfolding, and it goes without saying that Harvey’s name will undeniably be a heavily discussed topic in the coming weeks. We recommend watching content about him with care.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in danger of self-harm, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or by using the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can also be found here.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.
