Viral German Fan Freddy Deactivates X After 1 Million Followers Fuel Fraud Backlash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 1
Viral German Fan Freddy Deactivates X After 1 Million Followers Fuel Fraud Backlash
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 1
Summary
Freddy shut down his X account Tuesday and said on Instagram he would keep traveling in the U.S. but stop posting on the platform because it had become too toxic.
The backlash intensified after users highlighted that the German fan had previously spent a year in Santa Barbara, undercutting the impression that his viral World Cup-era road trip was a first-time American experience.
He also said critics were combing through 22,000 old posts to recirculate a small number of controversial messages without context, adding to pressure on the account.
His trip is still continuing after Germany’s World Cup exit, with Freddy telling followers his route now runs from Boston to Dallas and that he plans to celebrate the Fourth of July in the U.S.
The episode caps a monthlong rise in which his small-town America posts drew nearly 1 million followers and perks from celebrities and brands before the online scrutiny turned against him.