How an Elf and a Group of Gamers Exposed a ‘Predatory’ Youtuber-Husband Obsessed With Soliciting Nudes
On Wednesday night, YouTuber Jared “ProJared” Knabenbauer emerged from his fringe corner of the internet with a viral divorce announcement. The lengthy post would have likely stayed among the gamer’s million-plus social-media following if it wasn’t for his newly minted ex-wife’s very public reaction.
Heidi O’Ferrall, a professional artist and elf cosplayer, quickly undermined Knabenbauer’s attempts to control their divorce narrative. O’Ferrall began by revealing that she had no idea what Jared was saying about their marriage on social media, because he had blocked her before announcing the split. “I’m honestly shocked that he posted this today because it’s so blatantly selfish,” O’Ferrall posted. “This isn’t a mutual statement in any way.”
Knabenbauer dipped into the first-person plural throughout his statement, saying, “We do this so that we may both seek happiness for ourselves,” and claiming to prioritize “Heidi’s privacy, mental wellbeing and discretion.” But O’Ferrall laid waste to any notion of an amicable split, alleging that Jared had been cheating on her with fellow gamer Holly Conrad “for months” and that he “gaslit” her about the affair.
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