- Joey Graceffa responded to Gabbie Hanna's claims about working on "Escape the Night."
- Hanna said in an exposé that her eating disorder was triggered by unmet dietary specifications.
- Graceffa, who hosted the YouTube Originals series, said Hanna was "a nightmare" on set.
Gabbie Hanna, a polarizing influencer and self-described "YouTube Has-Been," started a social media flame war over an exposé video she posted Sunday. Hanna took aim at YouTubers Joey Graceffa and Daniel Preda, the creative team behind the YouTube Originals scripted reality series "Escape the Night."
In her video, Hanna implied that her eating disorder was triggered by alleged mistreatment on set, which she said included host Graceffa and producer Preda failing to adhere to dietary specifications she'd requested. Hanna claimed that she had also "been a bi--- on set," but that Graceffa and Preda had accepted her apology and then went on to talk about their negative experiences with her publicly.
Shortly after Hanna's video, other "Escape the Night" cast members responded on Twitter, along with Graceffa and Preda. YouTuber and HBO "Baketopia" host Rosanna Pansino wrote that Hanna had left out "key details" and that Hanna was "the most difficult, mean, and selfish person I've ever experienced on set."
Then, Graceffa released a video denying Hanna's claims. "Gabbie was actually the nightmare," Graceffa said, detailing what he described as the breakdown of his friendship with Hanna.
—Rosanna Pansino (@RosannaPansino) June 28, 2021
The two exposés light up a conflict that stems from a series that aired two years ago. Hanna has been relitigating her biggest drama over the past 5 years on her channel as part of a series she's calling "STORYTIME: Confessions of a Washed-Up YouTube Has-Been."
Hanna said 'Escape the Night' worsened her mental health
In her video, Hanna said she was wary to return to season 4 of "Escape the Night" after acting "unprofessional" while filming season 2. The series is a scripted fictional reality show starring YouTubers who play different characters. Hanna was on 7 out of 10 episodes of season 2 and returned for the "All Stars" season.
Hanna said she "used to be really difficult to work with," in part because of what she says were unmedicated ADHD symptoms. She said that sitting around for hours a day without anything to do was bad for her mental health, and that she acted "super b-----" in regard to call times and schedules.
Hanna then showed purported texts messages between her and Preda that showed Hanna saying she needed healthy food on set, including specific examples of food she wanted to eat. In the purported texts, Preda agreed that the food would be available.
Hanna also said her costume for season 2 was too tight and that she couldn't lift her arms. She said she wanted a more comfortable costume for season 4 and that it wasn't provided. She said that the snacks on set weren't healthy and that one night she didn't get home and into bed until 7:30 AM.
After experiencing disruptions on set, Hanna said she "blew up" at the director and ended up being "killed off" in the next episode. She showed an apology text she sent Graceffa and Preda and complained that they talked badly about her publicly afterward.
Pansino and Graceffa disputed Hanna's claims
Shortly after Hanna posted her video, Pansino, her season 4 "All Stars" co-star, tweeted a statement disputing some of Hanna's claims. Pansino wrote that Graceffa and Preda were "extemely patient & accommodating" during the seasons Pansino filmed with them.
She went on to write that Hanna's video was "untruthful" and "simply false." Pansino said Hanna failed to "show up" to wardrobe fittings and that she overheard Hanna tell Graceffa she didn't fill out the dietary restrictions form sent to the cast before filming. Pansino also said she watched Preda leave set to get Hanna food and that there was a salad bar on set, but that Hanna "blamed Joey multiple times for causing her eating disorder to come back."
Pansino also accused Hanna of calling a production assistant a "dumb c---." Pansino said her dressing room shared a wall with Graceffa's and she could hear Hanna speaking to him. "I've never experienced someone talk like that," Pansino wrote.
In his response video, Graceffa said that he and Hanna were friends until their experience working together on "Escape the Night."
Graceffa said Hanna made "life on set a living hell."
The "Escape the Night" host and co-producer went on to claim Hanna was "disrespectful," "rude," "mean," and "foul" to the cast and crew.
Graceffa echoed Pansino's claims and said that Hanna didn't eat any of the healthy meals that Preda purchased for her. He also said that she approved her costume and was killed off the show after she screamed at the crew and created so much "chaos" that it was harming the overall production.
Graceffa went on to say that Hanna was "unstable" and so he tried to end the relationship in a calm way after her apology, but that later he tried to explain his frustrations and that Hanna wouldn't listen to him.
"You're scary and you make it very hard for people to be honest with you," Graceffa said.
—the common denominator (@GabbieHanna) June 28, 2021