WhatsNew2Day – Latest News And Breaking Headlines
A TikToker has doubled down on his family’s claim that they don’t have the money to cover his medical bills after he fell from a waterfall in Hawaii while on an illegal hike.
Caleb Coffee, 18, and his family of influencers sparked a backlash after his father Jason Coffee asked for $100,000 in donations to pay for his medical bills.
Caleb, who has 11 million followers on TikTok and one million on Instagram, fired back in a video from his hospital bed on Sunday, insisting, “I don’t have the money to pay for this, and my family don’t five houses and a mansion.
But the teenager is known to have posed alongside his celebrity-hungry father online in social media posts that endorse various top brands, including toy gun maker Nerf and streaming service Discover Plus.
The GoFundMe has raised over $27,000 as of press time Monday.
TikToker Caleb Coffee has doubled down on his family’s claims that they don’t have the money to cover his medical bills after he fell on a hiking trail in Hawaii closed to the public
The TikTok star with more than 11 million followers on the social media site is currently in an intensive care unit after falling off a cliff and straight into a bed of lava rocks in Hawaii
In his video responding to the backlash, Caleb said: ‘I don’t want to get into this, but I kind of have to because there’s so many people taking it, and I just want to start by saying social media has a lot of misinformation. there.
“What I can tell you is that I don’t have the money to pay for this, and my family doesn’t have five houses and a mansion, we only have one house.
“And I may have been doing social media for 10, 15 years, but that has nothing to do with where I am in my life right now.
“I’m just a human asking for help, and you can help me or you can’t help me, it’s your choice, but if you could take a split second and put yourself in my shoes. “
Survey
Do you support Caleb’s fundraiser?
Yes, he needs help! 52 votes
No – it’s greedy 2945 votes
Caleb, whose face still shows bruises and seams, added that his sister set up the GoFundMe to help out when “she wasn’t sure” her brother would survive.
He concluded: “I just want to be able to live my life after this and not be in debt.
“If you want to help me, thank you, if not, no worries, but please think before you speak and speak kindly of others because that’s really all you have – what you say.”
The teenager slipped and fell off a 60-80ft cliff onto lava rock before being airlifted to hospital on Wednesday.
His response comes after his dad Jason shared the GoFundMe, writing: “Unfortunately Caleb didn’t have medical insurance and we can’t pay these medical bills which is why we are making this fund me. ” We thank you for your prayers, Mahalos.
The family first said Caleb’s injuries included a broken spine, but later shared an update saying “fortunately (he) doesn’t have a neck or spinal injury.”
Caleb’s father Jason – who has posted Instagram ads for big companies such as Kellogg’s, Nintendo, Discovery and Jimmy Dean – has proudly monetized his children and turned them into a brand, boasting 765,000 followers on Instagram.
He regularly posts advertisements of himself grinning from ear to ear while selling junk food, dog food, computer games, streaming services and breakfast cereals.
The family have been paid to promote Discovery’s new streaming channel – Discovery Plus, with their pedigree pup incorporated into the performance
The trio have teamed up with Nerf to promote a new model of Nerf Blaster gun, with Jason Coffee seen flashing his trademark smile
Caleb is expected to recover from his injuries, which he sustained while hiking in an area off-limits to the public. But the Coffees’ brazen begging for money has angered many followers, who have seen the family regularly post advertisements that will likely have earned them tens of thousands of dollars each.
“You are clearly not a poor family. Why should we pay for Caleb’s health care when you were too irresponsible to provide it? wrote Steven Pierce, a London-based food influencer and journalist.
“NO WAY YOU SET ME A GO FUND,” wrote another.
DailyMail.com was unable to confirm the Coffees’ Hawaii address, but the family regularly flaunt their luxurious lifestyle, with daughter Peyton seen unboxing a brand new iPhone in a flashy clip.
Caleb and his sister Peyton, who has 2.4 million Instagram followers and 16 million on TikTok, frequently take part in paid ads shared mostly on their father’s page, Jason Coffee.
The family has been documenting parts of their lives online for years, and the two oldest children in particular have amassed huge followings of people interested in following their various outdoor adventures.
Caleb, in particular, is known for his spectacular physical stunts and intense focus on physical fitness.
Recently, the family moved back to Hawaii from Texas, where they had lived a few years earlier.
Although the family’s precise finances are unknown, responses have been received from users who seemed surprised that the family needed help.
Jason Coffee has been something of an online influencer for nearly two decades.
He started including his kids in his content when they were very young and he still had a Vine account.
It’s unclear how much they earn from posting ads to their accounts, but content creators can usually expect to be paid between $0.10 and $0.30 per ad view.
Advertisements posted on Jason’s Instagram tend to receive several thousand likes.
Caleb’s TikTok videos are typically viewed several million times.