Whenever we write about Atta Halilintar, arguably the most popular Indonesian YouTuber today, our first thoughts are usually along the lines of, “What kind of over-the-top shenanigans did he get up to this time?”
Well, after getting reinfected by the coronavirus and getting condemned by the public for his outdated views on marriage following his big wedding and honeymoon with singer Aurel Hermansyah, the 26-year-old vlogger is now getting flak for allegedly milking his wife’s miscarriage for views.
In an 11-minute video titled Selamat Jalan Anakku… (Farewell, My Child) uploaded to his channel last night, Atta and Aurel sadly recounted the story of when they found out that they lost their baby after a few weeks into the pregnancy. In tears, Aurel shared how she experienced pain in her abdomen before doctors confirmed the miscarriage a night before Eid.
“God willing, we’ll have another child in a few months, dear,” Atta told Aurel in the video.
Atta said they decided to go on with publishing the video due to rumors circulating online, on top of overwhelming requests from fans to clarify their initial miscarriage announcement posted on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
“See you in heaven, my child… Pray for papa and mama, my pious child,” the caption reads.
A longer 30-minute version of the same video was uploaded to Maxstream, a mobile video streaming platform owned by state telco Telkomsel. The unabridged version features the newlyweds on video calls with their family members, including Aurel’s mother and diva Krisdayanti, her father Anang Hermansyah and stepmother Ashanty, and Atta’s parents Halilintar Anofial Asmid and Lenggogeni Faruk.
Furthermore, Aurel’s celebrity family also uploaded a video titled, Keluarga Ikut Berduka dan Bersedih atas Kehilangan, Namun Tetap Beri Semangat!! (The family is also in mourning and sad for the loss [of the fetus], but we continue to cheer [Aurel] up!!) on their channel yesterday, The Hermansyah A6.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the content unleashed following Atta and Aurel’s miscarriage left a bitter taste among the public, with many accusing Atta of using his private ordeals to gain even more clout. Many also appear sympathetic toward Aurel throughout all this, as she has been on the receiving end of Atta’s overexposure of their life as a newly-married couple.
Atta also reportedly posted a story on Instagram of Aurel’s sonogram while lamenting the miscarriage. Along with the photo, however, was a caption promoting an alternative pregnancy program using unripe dates, with a screenshot of the post making the rounds online.
Though some noted that the image could’ve been easily photoshopped, many netizens said that Atta did upload it on Instagram before taking it down and replacing it with one without the ad.
This has particularly prompted netizens to launch scathing criticism against the YouTuber, with some going so far as saying that he’s making money off of the tragedy.
With Atta and Aurel (not to mention their families) never failing to make waves in contemporary Indonesian pop culture, airing even their most private matters onto our screens, we can’t help but wonder: how far is too far in the name of clout?
