If there's one thing the internet loves, it's an influencer feud.
Showbiz
Influencers Friendship Fallout: Conflicting Stories Revealed
If there's one thing the internet loves, it's an influencer feud.The latest drama comes courtesy of Sam Guggenheimer and Bill Barker, who have set tongues waggi...
The latest drama comes courtesy of Sam Guggenheimer and Bill Barker, who have set tongues wagging after dramatically cutting ties in the wake of a fat-shaming scandal.
The former friends, who briefly lived together, found themselves in hot water in March after Bill, 23, made an offensive fat-shaming joke in one of Sam's videos.
Now, the backlash has forced the pals apart after six years of friendship, with the duo unfollowing each other and trading barbs online.
And in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Sam, 24, reveals what finally ended things between them.
The drama ignited in March when Sam - who used to date former Western Bulldogs midfielder Caleb Poulter - posted a video on her secondary TikTok, Tall Dreams Short Girl, announcing she was looking for a roommate for her friend.
Australian influencers Sam Guggenheimer, 24, and Bill Barker, 23, have cut ties after six years of friendship following a wave of controversy
Having just moved from to , Sam was temporarily crashing with Bill while filming the now-deleted clip.
She told followers she needed someone to take over her spot on the lease and move in with her former housemate, Lily.
But what began as an innocent video of her explaining the type of person who was best suited for the house turned nasty when Bill put his two cents in.
'You've just got to be a skinny girl,' Bill said in the background, adding that the person taking over Sam's lease shouldn't be 'a fatty'.
Sam pushed back against Bill's comment, saying he was 'so rude', but when she edited and posted the video, she left his remark in.
After backlash ensued, she issued an apology, saying the video 'should never have happened and absolutely should never have been posted online'.
Advertisement
'The language used in that moment was inappropriate and unacceptable,' she said. 'I understand that regardless of intent, what was said was offensive and hurtful.
'I take full responsibility for posting the video without properly reviewing it beforehand. That was a mistake and it does not excuse what was said. I should have exercised better judgment.'
The former friends, who briefly lived together, found themselves in hot water in March after Bill made an offensive fat-shaming joke in one of Sam's TikTok videos
Sam claimed she and Bill went their separate ways during Coachella, shortly after their joint controversy over Bill's 'fatty' video, because he wanted to release a podcast episode involving her without her permission
'The reason our friendship broke down was because Bill wanted to release a very vulnerable podcast we had recorded back in February, before I made the poor decision to upload a video that resulted in significant online backlash towards me,' Sam explained
The rumours surrounding Sam and Bill kicked into overdrive in June when Annie Arnold (right) was spotted spending more time with Sam, despite being Bill's assistant and close friend
At about the same time, she uploaded a video to TikTok with the caption: 'And why would I care about being talked about by the most boring people ever?'
Though Annie did not say the video was about Bill, one follower commented beneath the video asking: 'What happened with Bill?' She responded with: 'I choose peace lol'
Bill appeared to take another swipe at Sam in a TikTok posted just last week
'To clarify, there was no podcast episode ever scheduled to go live or published involving Sam,' Bill said.
Advertisement
'Beyond that, I don't wish to comment on anything relating to Sam or Annie.'
The Daily Mail also reached out to Annie to hear her side of the story, but she did not respond by the time of publication.
Fans started speculating about Sam and Bill's friendship in April, when the pair unfollowed each other.
Later that month, Bill joined Instagram watchdog Influencer Updates AU for a livestream interview hosted by journalist Amber Paul.
Amber later posted a recap to her Stories, in which Bill seemed to confirm there was a podcast episode Sam had asked him not to release.
However, he allegedly said he had never intended to set it live and added that he was the one who ended the friendship because he was upset that Sam had posted the controversial video of him using the term 'fatty'.
