TikTok's Bryce Hall and Blake Gray face criminal charges for Hollywood Hills parties
Internet stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray have been charged for throwing “mega-parties” amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hall, 21, and Gray, 19, share a rented home in the Hollywood Hills. The house parties, according to Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, are in direct violation of the city ban on large gatherings.
Feuer described the parties as “havoc in the Hills” and said in a press release on Friday the criminal charges are part of a wider crackdown on party houses. Hall and Gray have documented their parties on TikTok, a platform where combined they have around 20 million followers.
“With hundreds of people attending, loud music all night long and cars blocking access for emergency vehicles, party houses are really out of control nightclubs, and they’ve hijacked the quality of life of neighbors nearby. As if that weren’t enough, the hosts are incredibly irresponsible, with COVID-19 spreading and parties banned because of it. We’ve got to put a stop to it,” Feuer said on Friday. “If you have a combined 19-million followers on TikTok during this health crisis, you should be modeling good behavior — not brazenly violating the law and posting videos about it, as we allege.”
The city attorney’s complaints cite two parties Hall and Gray threw on Aug. 8 and Aug. 14.
Officers responded to a call of shots fired on Aug. 14 and “discovered a party of several hundred people” at the home in the Hollywood Hills. When speaking with Gray, he acknowledged they received a citation one week earlier. (No evidence was found of a gun being fired.) The party was for Hall’s 21st birthday and was attended by tons of internet stars. In videos posted to social media, there appeared to be no social distancing and nearly no one wore masks.
The complaint states Hall and Gray “willfully and unlawfully” constituted “a public nuisance by conducting a loud and unruly conduct gathering which threatens and interferes with the public health, safety and welfare, and the comfortable enjoyment of life and property.”
During a press conference on Friday, Feurer said he’s unaware if any COVID-19 cases have been linked to either bash. He added that partygoers are not going to be getting citations under the city ordinance, but that “may change.”
“I’m hopeful this will deter others,” Feurer noted.
The news follows L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti’s announcement he has authorized the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to shut off utility service to properties where large parties are held. On Aug. 19, the city cut the power at Hall and Gray’s rented home.
Hall and Gray are accused of violating the Los Angeles Party House ordinance and the City's Safer L.A. Health Order regarding gatherings. Penalties include up to one year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines. These cases will be prosecuted by Deputy City Attorney Ethan Weaver.
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