How one influencer faked a relationship to raise money for Gaza
‘Influencers are in the sweet spot of fame and accessibility – people look at us to be vocal,’ TikTok star Ayame P tells Metro, as she explains why she teased her followers with a love-triangle story in a bid to raise money.
For over nine months the 27-year-old Londoner drip-fed details of her intriguing romance with two of the platforms biggest names.
As she shared snippets of their apparent entanglement, Ayame, who has almost four million followers, would only reveal what happened next if people pledged donations, and reached the goal that had been set in the video.
But instead of turning a profit for herself, Ayame, who rose to fame in lockdown for her quirky reaction videos, used her spotlight to donate thousands to aid families in Gaza.
It’s been a year since a surprise attack from Hamas on October 7, 2023, changed the trajectory of many Israeli and Palestinian’ lives forever.
Targeting the Nova music festival in a desert in southern Israel, near Gaza, the militant group killed 1,200 people, while a further 250 were kidnapped and taken as hostages. In retaliation, the Israeli military continued to carry out hundreds of air and artillery strikes, killing more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The Gaza strip, which was once a flourishing community, has long become a warzone stripped of necessities, with Israel reportedly targeting hospitals, homes, schools and Mosques in their strikes which they say are used as bases for the terrorists.
In November, Israel suspended supplies of food, water and electricity and fuel to Palestinians.
Palestinian families and residents have been desperate to get out of the region, with charities such as Operation Olive branch and Pass the Hat fundraising aid.
Like many others, Ayame had been moved by the devastation in Gaza, and wanted to do what she could to help.
The charities she has chosen are grassroots organisations, that send money and aid to verified families on the strip.
Since then, Ayame has raised raised over a quarter of a million pounds for the charities, as she and her suitors conspicuously ask for fans to donate in the video saga.
The tangled web
Starring in Ayame’s posts are Influencers Yuval, who has been likened to Joe from You for his uncanny ability to find people based on the tiniest details, and Oliver Mills, a Kiwi boxer slash singer.
Their story began in December 2023, when Yuval posted a video to his page where he was able to pinpoint the exact location and room that Ayame had been staying in.
While this may sound unsettling, it is all part of the 29-year-old Yuval’s forte.
Going by the TikTok tag ‘Yuval the terrible’, he has built a community of over 3 million followers for his knack of finding anyone based on the smallest details.
Once challenged, he will then analyse a video posted to the platform, and use extensive research to figure out the exact location it was captured in.
This quickly blossomed into a cat-and-mouse game between the pair, where she would challenge the sleuthy influencer to figure out her various movements, wherever in the world she may be, getting more and more flirty as the months passed.
While the internet was already lapping up this relationship, Oliver entered into the entanglement after Ayame posted a video of him while the pair were filming an advert, allegedly to make Yuval jealous.
The New Zealander then egged on the scandal, uploading a post using the song “The Girl is Mine.” by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, a supposed nudge at his affection for Ayame.
As their followers began to lap up the love triangle, the debacle even sparked a Twilight style ‘Team Edward’ or ‘Team Jacob’ internet debate, with people desperate to follow their next move.
Conspiracy theories, explainer videos and fan edits were posted left right and centre, as fans played into their every move.
‘The two men are obviously in love with me,’ Ayame tells Metro. ‘And people want drama. Then also knowing that the drama’s for a good cause, that just double locked them in.’
If anyone doubted the authenticity of their posts, the three were quick to dismiss any uncertainty.
Oliver wrote in an email to TIME magazine: ‘Ayame is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met; we got on really well.” While, Ayama insisted ‘I am incredibly in love with [Yuval] because he is incredibly smart.”
Although she then turned her attentions to Oliver and teased: “Our personalities mesh quite well and our comedy is quite the same, then I fell in love with him.”
The story behind the story
But why would an influencer go to such extremes to ask people to donate to charity?
The TikTokker tells Metro that when she made videos purely in support of Palestine, they ‘didn’t get pushed as much as her regular content’.
‘I’ve found people don’t watch videos that are just about Palestine,’ Ayame explains. ‘But if it’s placed within something they might find entertaining, like two men in love with me, it’s a lot easier for people to stay locked in.’
How does posting political content affect your engagement?
Social media users have reported drastic drops in engagement, otherwise known as ‘shadow banning’ after sharing political posts on their pages, with ‘views’ on some accounts down a shocking 98 per cent.
An investigation by Metro.co.uk last year saw that posts featuring pro-Palestine views received only a fraction of the views compared to normal posts. Instagram has now added an ‘opt-out’ of political content feature, where users can decide how much political content they want to appear on their feeds.
A campaign has taken off over the past few months to hold celebrities accountable for their silence on the conflict in Gaza, which has earned the name ‘Blockout 2024’.
The ‘Blockout’ involves social media users across all platforms digitally boycotting traditional these Hollywood celebrities and influencers who have not used their platform to raise awareness or, in some instances, perpetuated their support for the war.
By blocking celebrities, it will allegedly be more difficult for them to monetise their content on social media platforms, and many will reportedly face financial loss.
As well as accruing donations from followers, the 27-year-old currently gives all of her TikTok earnings to verified charities that help people cross the border to safety.
Yuval has also raised an impressive amount. As part of their story, the influencer posted in May that he would fly to the UK if his followers met his $200,000 goal for a GoFundMe to help families in Gaza. The money was raised in less than 24 hours.
And, sure enough, a week later Yuval appeared on her podcast.
The awkward first meeting between the pair was everything fans had been waiting for, an innocent interaction where they discussed their feelings for one another, after flirting from across the globe.
‘Did you find me because I’m pretty?’, she questioned him on the podcast.
‘Yes. No-one else deserved to be found,’ Yuval responded immediately.
What happened next
Last month, Ayame posted a video captioned ‘thanks for tuning in to season one’, with early 2000s style paparazzi pictures of her and Yuval, arguing outside a restaurant, just two days after posting a flirty internet dance trend with Oliver.
Since the ‘series ending’ finale, the trio have yet to confirm or deny whether it was all a ruse to raise money – but either way, the majority of fans don’t seem to care.
Ayame’s comments have been flooded with followers saying ‘I know this is fake, but I’m still obsessed’, and and their accounts are only growing.
The Londoner has just got back from a trip to Los Angeles, where she filmed content alongside both Yuval and Oliver – captioning one video of the three of them ‘bffl’ (best friends for life).
Maybe it’s the refreshing ‘silliness’ of the love triangle that is perhaps why people are so obsessed with it – the light hearted fun between the three is contagious, and fans know that by engaging with the content, they’re helping a good cause.
Regardless, Ayame is adamant that her series was made with the best intentions – and criticises those in the public eye who haven’t spoken up to raise awareness.
‘To not use your platform for issues, it’s irresponsible,’ she says. ‘I’ve had hate and lost some followers, but I’ve taken it upon myself to be a megaphone for people who don’t have a voice. The larger platform I get, the more I’ll be able to do.
Whatever needs light shedding on, I will do it.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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