Marina Joyce, a 19-year-old Londoner and YouTuber, sparked an internet outcry after many believe she whispered "save me" or "help me" around the 0:10-second mark of her latest video, which can be seen above. Though Marina has repeatedly assured fans she's okay, the hashtag #SaveMarinaJoyce continues to trend and theories that she's being abused off-camera are spreading.
Concern originally arose when some noticed in the left corner of the above video in the very beginning, there appears to be a hand holding a script, implying not only is there someone with Marina, but also that she's being told what to say. Marina does say upfront this particular video is an advertisement, so it's not strange she'd be reading lines, but Refinery29 notes this scripted kind of video is very different than the whimsical ones Marina's fans are used to seeing from her.
More concerning is that at the 1:09 mark, Marina twirls to show her dress and has unmistakable faded bruises and scratches down the backs of her arms.
Again, Marina has been nonstop insisting on Twitter she is physically all right — and in a more recent livestream elaborates, "The bruises are an actual story," in response to a commenter asking about them: "I don't know how to tell that story, but I don't know if it's a good idea for my YouTube channel to tell what happened." — but fans report seeing the same bruises on her in previous videos as well.
JustPaste.It notes in her "EVERY DAY MAKEUP TUTORIAL" video from July 8, a rifle can be seen near Marina's dresser around the 1:43 mark. The site also points out there are several containers on her nightstand that could be prescription or recreational drugs.
In the comments of the same video, a viewer asked Marina if she was OK, to which the YouTuber originally responded "yes :)" and then allegedly commented and deleted a follow-up answer of "no."
Last night, police checked on Marina while concerns about her safety continued and they reported "she is safe and well."
Additionally, Marina's mother Cheryl offered MailOnline a solution to each of the above-noted potential issues: "The gun is a toy gun, one of those BB guns — I've got other children. She's just done a live stream to fans to show she's all right. As for the bruising, we all bruise easily. There's no abusive relationship. It was me speaking in the video. I was filming for her and I whispered 'stand LIKE me' not 'help me.'"
Cheryl also said she rarely gets involved with her daughter's videos, but that she knows this was not a publicity stunt. Marina has hundreds of thousands of more followers on both YouTube and Twitter since the #SaveMarinaJoyce hashtag began a few days ago.
Still, fans continue to find explanations for what they say is recent unusual behavior from the teen. Some believe she may be on drugs; others point to an abusive relationship with a boyfriend who's never been in a video (but may have been caught in a reflection in one once or twice). Yet another group believes the teen might be diagnosed schizophrenic.
Most recently, Marina tweeted because of "recent events," she was canceling a Wednesday meet-up she had planned but would continue with one set for Saturday.
Cosmopolitan.com reached out to Marina for comment but has yet to hear back. This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, visit thehotlineorg for more information or call 1 (800) 799−7233.
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