YouTube star Marina Joyce 'safe and well' after being reported missing
On Saturday, police in London confirmed that Marina Joyce, a popular YouTuber, was found “safe and well” after being considered missing for 10 days. Joyce, who lived in London, was last seen on July 31, and was reported missing on Aug. 7.
The details of the 22-year-old’s disappearance, however, are still quite hazy. After Joyce was reported missing, the Haringey Police social media account tweeted an appeal (since deleted) to help find her. The hashtag #SaveMarinaJoyce began trending globally.
A few hours later, Joyce’s boyfriend, fellow YouTuber Brandon Mehmed, told fans that Joyce was “safe and well,” and addressed fan speculation that he had something to do with her disappearance writing, “everyone who thinks I’m acting ‘suspicious’ are only misinformed and don’t know me at allll.” The police later confirmed that she was indeed safe.
The entire incident is eerily reminiscent of a similar situation which occurred three years ago. In 2016, Joyce’s subscribers became alarmed when her demeanor on her popular videos suddenly began to change. According to fans, the typically bubbly beauty vlogger appeared distracted on screen, with long intervals of staring in silence; fans even said they could hear her whisper, “help me” in one video. Many postulated that Joyce was being held against her will — some said by ISIS — or that she was on drugs. The concern grew so great that police in the area made a wellness visit to Joyce’s home, where she was found to be “safe and well.”
A year later, Joyce put out a video to her 2 million subscribers addressing the whole ordeal, saying, “I simply don’t want you to believe any one of the conspiracy theories because none of them are true ... I did suffer from depression. It was so bad it hurts me to this day to think of all the reckless things I did that showed that I did not care about my life ... I’m so glad ‘Saving Marina Joyce’ was a thing simply because it helped me to get better and now I feel like I’m so much better.”
Fans are equating this situation to the one from three years ago, calling her 2019 disappearance a “publicity stunt,” or cause for concern, while others are saying her boyfriend must have something to do with it.
Joyce’s social media accounts have been quiet since June, and fans want proof that she is indeed alive and well. Mehmed, Joyce’s boyfriend, posted on Saturday to inform fans and followers that “Marina wants to make a video soon explaining all of this ... you’ll get your proof that she is safe when she uploads.”
Until then, speculation will undoubtedly continue.
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