So here it is, we’ve come to the part of the drama in which the disgraced influencer publishes a statement of apology (outlined in this Guide to the Standard Singaporean Influencer Saga/Scandal Media Cycle Timeline).
More than a day after Mothership decimated the reputation of popular social media influencer Daryl Aiden Yow, the young man has since issued a proper response to the exposé on his Instagram page. In case you’re not up to speed, Mothership reporters dissected his acclaimed shots and found that a lot of his posts (even the sponsored ones) on Instagram can actually be found on other sites. In a phone interview with Must Share News, Yow defended his work, claiming that his clients are aware that stock photos are used for his posts, and he never states that he took the shots in his caption on Instagram. The claims were then debunked by Mothership.
The exposé was careful not to outrightly state that the influencer with over 101,000 followers stole some pictures and claimed it for his own. Now, it seems that Yow has finally admitted his faults in a lengthy apology on Instagram.
If you don’t have the time or will to read a typical apology made by popular social media figures after getting called out, here’s a gist of his statement.
- Friends close to him are apparently being considered guilty by association.
- He admits he was wrong. He apologized for claiming other people’s work as his own. He apologized for misleading his followers with his Instagram captions.
- Prior to the exposé, his friends have repeatedly told him to stop doing so. He ignored their advice.
- He may have made false claims in his work with brands, but affirms that all the collaborations he did with his fellow influencer friends are “honest and fair”.
This is his statement in full.
Hi everyone,
I didn’t intend to release any statement regarding recent events, largely because I did not know how I could accurately express how sorry I am. But seeing how people are now making baseless and false allegations against those close to me — simply by mere association — I have decided to confront the facts instead of leaving them subject to speculation. I did not want to let any more people down.
The outrage regarding how I have conducted myself is justified and I accept full responsibility for my actions and all consequences that arise from those actions.
I was wrong to have claimed that stock images and other people’s work were my own. I was also wrong to have used false captions that misled my followers and those who viewed my images. Having marketed myself as a photographer, I fell far short of what was expected of me and disappointed those who believed—or wanted to believe— in me. For all of that, I apologize.
Those close to me disagree with my actions and have asked, whenever they felt that something was not right about my images, that I stop my actions immediately. I did not take their advice seriously and would give reasons that I thought would assuage any concerns they had over those images —just enough so that we would move on to other issues. I let them down with my actions.
I would also like to take the opportunity to clear the air. The end-products of my collaborations with my friends remained honest and fair. Whatever my shortcomings were, I did not bring them to my collaborations. That would not have been fair to those who collaborated with me, and they would not have allowed such practices to be carried out in any event. These people are hard-working professionals and I was hurt to see people make baseless allegations or insinuations against them or question their integrity. They should not be hounded for my errors. To that end, I hope that these baseless allegations or insinuations would stop.
I know I have erred and hope that I will be given the time and space to grow and better myself. For those who have stood by me, I would like to thank you and hope that I will be able to earn such kindness in the future.
Honestly though, why are people surprised that Yow’s capable of doing something this dumb? Dude didn’t even know that the sun and the moon are two entirely different astronomical bodies until a few months ago.
