In an escalating series of events, the city attorney’s office filed misdemeanor charges against TikTok stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray.
According to the complaint, the pair have been charged with one misdemeanor count of causing a public nuisance “by conducting a Loud and Unruly Conduct Gathering” and one count of violating the Safer LA emergency declaration.
In other words, they’re accused of throwing a rager in the middle of a global pandemic.
“If you have a combined 19 million followers on TikTok, in the middle of a public health crisis, you should be modeling great behavior, best practices for all of us, rather than brazenly violating the law, and then posting videos about it as we allege happened here,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said at a news conference today.
On Aug. 8, police responded to a complaint about a party at the rented Hollywood Hills home Hall and Gray share, according to a release from the city attorney’s office. Officers told Hall parties aren’t allowed due to the Safer LA order and issued him a citation. Officers stuck around until guests left.
On Aug. 14, just six days later, officers returned after receiving a call about shots fired at the property. Though they didn’t find any evidence indicating anyone had fired a gun, they did find “several hundred people celebrating Hall’s 21st birthday.” This time, they talked to Gray, who said he knew about the last citation. Again, officers stayed until the guests had left.
In an attempt to get people to stop throwing parties, Mayor Eric Garcetti threatened in early August to cut off water and power to homes and businesses that repeatedly hosted large gatherings. On Aug. 19, the mayor made good on that threat, and the city cut off service to the TikTok stars’ home.
Hall and Gray’s arraignment will take place on Sept. 11.
Charges were also filed against Jianwei Bai, who owns a home on Outpost Drive, and David Marvisi, who owns a home on Sunset View Drive. Both homes have been the subject of multiple complaints, and both have received citations over parties in the past, according to the city attorney’s office.
The penalty for throwing parties these days includes up to one year in jail and $2,000 in fines.