TikTok’s Chris Rooney, a.k.a. ‘Yeet Baby,’ in Mental Health Facility After Being Reported Missing
Chris Rooney, aka Yeet Baby, the TikToker with more than five million followers best known for his videos featuring his adorable niece and nephew, is currently being held in a mental health facility after disappearing last week, according to a statement issued by his family.
“So many devoted Yeet Baby followers have expressed genuine concern for our beloved ‘Uncle Chris,’ it is for those we share this update,” the statement began.
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“As many of you know, his life the last 6 months has been nothing short of difficult. What you all witnessed leading up to his disappearance was all of his emotions coming to a head.”
Rooney, a Virginia native, is best known for his lovable videos featuring his niece and nephew, particularly those featuring his niece Marleigh attempting to pour liquid into a cup as he watches and expresses enthusiasm and support for her efforts. The account is named after one of Marleigh’s first words, “yeet.” He amassed millions of followers at the height of the pandemic.
Over the past few months, Rooney’s content has deviated somewhat from the norm, with him speaking openly about being in the process of separating from his wife. Fans noticed that his behavior had become somewhat erratic and that he had started posting much more frequently on TikTok, often in response to other people’s comments.
“Comments like this, they trigger me. They make me an angry person,” he said in a now-deleted video on his TikTok, in response to a commenter speculating his marriage had collapsed because of his excessive alcohol consumption, which he denied. “So please don’t make me an angry person.”
On Aug. 3, Rooney’s family members reported him missing, posting publicly about his disappearance on social media and filing a report with police. Several hours later, they wrote that they discovered he had checked himself into a mental health facility for treatment.
The new statement also addressed Rooney’s posts about the anti-trafficking film Sound of Freedom, which has been criticized for containing inaccuracies about trafficking and has been promoted by QAnon conspiracy theorists. Rooney’s TikTok bio currently features a link to the website for Operation Underground Railroad, the organization featured in the film.
“Prior to his disappearance he had seen the movie Sound of Freedom, and like many others, he was sick to his core over it,” the statement reads. “This prompted him to post links to raise money for the cause of ending child sex trafficking. To many of you this may have seemed odd, but he genuinely wanted and still wants to help this cause.”
The post also includes a statement from Rooney himself: “Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help me. It is something that I have to work on and am going to make it my life’s mission to not only get myself healthy but also others.”
“We are sure you all still have a lot of questions, but those are for Uncle Chris to answer once he is healthy and ready to share his experiences,” the statement on his account, signed “Uncle Chris and Family,” concludes.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also reach out to the Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 confidential text messaging service that provides support to people in crisis when they text 741741.
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