Daniel Larson

About

Daniel Larson, also known as Danderson, is a Denver, Colorado-based TikToker, YouTuber and internet personality known for his controversial and confusing lore. He is referred to by many as a Lolcow or AIOPM due to a network of trolls that manipulate him by posing as record label managers on Discord and Reddit, exploiting his obsession with singer Grace VanderWaal and his desire to become a recording artist. This relationship has drawn comparisons to precursor lolcow Chris Chan. Additionally, Laron's said to be diagnosed with Autism and schizophrenia. He started posting content to TikTok in 2020. Many viewed it as cryptic and mentally ill, prompting users to follow out of curiosity. Going into 2021, he grew his cult following for various "arcs" in his channel's history including running for President of the United States, "the fog" and an incident in which he flashed his viewers on LIVE. Soon after, Larson became the victim of his fans, continuing into 2023. Multiple allegations surfaced about Larson involving pedophilia in 2022. However, many of the allegations are unconfirmed and imagined (by some) to be the doing of his trolls. In 2023, Larson collaborated with fellow TikTok lolcow Joshua Block (aka World of T-shirts) at the behest of his fans. Notable Larson "incidents" include his 2023 arrests such as the so-called Olive Garden Incident. In early February 2024, Larson was notably arrested by Aurora Police in Colorado. In late April 2024, Daniel Larson received federal charges and was indicted by the FBI.

Background

Daniel Larson was born in Denver, Colorado in 1998 making him 23 years old in 2022. When Larson was a child, he was purportedly abused by his parents, specifically his mother. As a result, he was taken away from them and lived with his grandmother, being raised by her throughout his adolescence. At a young age, he also found out he was on the autism spectrum, as well as being a patient of bipolar disorder.

All of this information comes from a TikTok he uploaded in October 2021 that has since been deleted. However, it was reposted to the /r/Daniellarson^[1] subreddit on October 21st, 2021, by Redditor TransitionFit537, where over the course of six months it received over 100 upvotes. Additionally, a video surfaced of Daniel Larson as a child being covered on television, wherein, the show described the relationship between Larson and his grandmother. The TikTok was reposted to the /r/Daniellarson^[2] subreddit as well, posted on November 6th, 2021, by Redditor danielfan69 where it received over 400 upvotes in five months (shown below).

Online History

Daniel Larson uploaded his first TikTok on March 30th, 2020, however, the video has since been deleted due to his original account being suspended. The evidence for this origin comes from a compilation of Larson's TikTok arc created by Redditor Glittering-Air-8240. They uploaded the video to /r/Daniellarson^[3] on May 11th, 2021, earning over 790 upvotes in 11 months (shown below).

Within the compilation video (shown above), multiple arcs of Larson's online history are outlined despite the original account that hosted them no longer being accessible. The first arc of his account that gained him a following on the platform was when he decided and announced he was going to run for President of the U.S. in the 2020 election. TikTokers who discovered his page started to ironically promote his run for office, deeming him "Mr. President" as the election results drew closer. As stated in the compilation video above, Larson's election announcement video was uploaded on July 14th, 2020.

On October 20th, 2020, Larson held a Zoom livestream for all his TikTok fans. A full screen-recording of the event was uploaded to YouTube on the same day by the channel Mr.Sharky469, who over the course of a year and a half, received roughly 7,700 views (shown below). Many of his fans in the livestream called him "Mr. President" and Larson sang, ranted and talked about his backstory.

On October 29th, 2020, the /r/Danilarson subreddit was created. The first post^[4] was made on November 8th, 2020, by Redditor liledwardo, who earned 14 upvotes for a screenshot of Larson standing in his room.

The Fog

Another notable facet of Larson's lore is what his followers refer to as "The Fog," which is essentially his front-facing camera appearing foggy or blurred. "The Fog" was not present in his original videos but surfaced on October 10th, 2020.^[3] By the end of October, "The Fog" retreated, inspiring curiosity in his fanbase. It continued to disappear and reappear throughout his timeline.

On July 30th, 2021, YouTuber and Twitch streamer Papa Gut uploaded a video in which he analyzed "The Fog," earning roughly 18,800 views over the course of 10 months (shown below).

Account Banned On May 6th After Going Nude On TikTok Live

Between November 2021 and April 2021, Larson went on a hiatus from posting content. He had allegedly been enrolled at a mental health hospital in which he was treated for his disorders. He started posting content again on April 30th, 2021,^[3] and quickly went back to his old routine of posting multiple, front-facing camera TikToks a day.

Starting on May 3rd, 2021, Larson's content became increasingly NSFW, for instance, on the 3rd, he uploaded a TikTok in pitch-black darkness of him moaning.^[3] He revealed that he was facing allegations regarding a girl named Ally Jones. He was under the impression that he was being investigated by the FBI regarding his possession of child pornography, however, it is speculated that these were just trolls within his fanbase pretending to be investigators.

On May 6th, 2021, Larson went Live on TikTok in which during the livestream he flashed his genitals.^[5] This subsequently got Larson banned from the platform and multiple memes were made about it. For instance, on May 7th, 2021, a since-deleted Redditor posted a meme to /r/Danillarson^[6] that earned over 660 upvotes in 11 months (shown below).

Larson continued to create new accounts that got banned by TikTok going into the rest of 2021. As of April 2022, Larson has two active accounts, daniellarsontoday^[7] and daniel_larson_recordz, the latter of which is focused on his music career. As of April 2022, Larson has amassed roughly 129,000 followers.

Briiiink and Daniel Larson Collab TikToks

On June 25th, 2022, TikToker^[10] briiiink posted a video wherein he's walking down a street with Daniel Larson, stating in text overlay, "We cute or Whateva🤪." In one month, the video received roughly 152,300 plays and 8,100 likes (since deleted). At first, it seemed like briiiink had randomly found Larson in real life, however, he'd post another TikTok^[11] on June 25th with Larson that earned over 622,000 plays and 99,800 likes (since deleted).

Ultimately, the TikToks were promoting an upcoming vlog made by briiiink where he and Daniel Larson, along with his videographer friend, hung out and ate pizza together. The video was uploaded to YouTube on June 29th, 2022, earning roughly 5,100 views in three weeks (shown below).

Despite the YouTube upload, the most engagement that briiiink received was on TikTok with videos featuring Larson. Two TikToks^[12][13] posted in late June 26th earned over 3 million plays total, however, they were also deleted.

Overall, briiiink's coverage of Daniel Larson was wholesome, and fans of Larson appreciated how they treated him and gave an outsider's perspective on his personality and life. However, briiiink and Larson had a falling out.^[17]

Ox (@oxthegoat) and Daniel Larson

TikToker^[14] oxthegoat (also known as Ox or Ivan) started to center his channel on Lolcows and AIOPMs in 2022, specifically on Daniel Larson, Joshua Block and Bandit Huncho. On July 27th, 2022, oxthegoat posted a TikTok^[15] that had a serious tone, alleging that Larson, Block, Huncho and Wileysquires2000, among others, were involved in a "manipulation ring" in which anons were manipulating the AIOPMs into making weird videos of them twerking or doing other explicit acts. The TikTok received roughly 776,700 plays and 42,900 likes in six months (shown below).

On July 29th, 2022, Joshua Block posted a comment beneath oxthegoat's video, writing, "They tried to talk me into a Collab with danial but I simply refused," gaining over 6,000 likes in six months. Around the same time, discourse started surfacing about oxthegoat in the /r/Daniellarson^[16] subreddit. Most of the discourse within the subreddit about Ox was negative.^[16] However, Ox still made content with Larson and began reaching out to him in real life, even though Larson, at times, lashed out at him such as in one since-deleted video of Larson saying, "Fuck Ox" repeatedly and threatening to send a bomb to his house (shown below via Reddit^[18]).

In November 2022, Brink decided to stop making content with Daniel Larson and stepped out of his life completely. He posted a TikTok to his channel that announced the decision, additionally addressing his reasonings which were mostly based on him not wanting to associate with the Daniel Larson fanbase as well as not wanting to associate with Larson himself due to his firm belief that Larson is a pedophile. He also stated that he was going to delete all of his Larson content. He additionally called out Ox in the video, addressing him as Ivan and saying that the fanbase hates him as well as that him calling Brink a "clout chaser" was unfounded (repost from Reddit^[17] shown below).

Following Brink's farewell video, Ox continued to upload content about the "manipulation ring" he believed Larson, Block and others were involved in. His discourse became the loudest in December 2022 and January 2023, directly following Larson's "December 7th Incident" and "December 10th Incident." ^[19] For instance, on December 21st, 2022, Ox posted a TikTok that added TikToker James Droz into the discussion, gaining roughly 47,900 likes in one month (shown below).

Ox's involvement with Larson allegedly ended in mid-January 2023 when he was with Larson in real life. On January 15th, 2023, Ox posted a TikTok^[20] in which he had just met with Larson in California and stated that Larson was not accepting the housing for him back in Colorado and there was a warrant out for Larson's arrest. The video received roughly 56,800 plays and 7,100 likes in four days (shown below, left). On January 18th, 2023, TikToker^[21] retro_shlong posted a screen-recording taken from Larson's Live that night, showing a different angle of Larson's conversation with Ox. The TikTok received roughly 207,800 plays and 17,300 likes in one day (shown below, right).

Daniel Larson's Alleged Scabies Infection

On January 12th, 2023, Redditor hulkhoganoffical reposted a Daniel Larson TikTok to /r/Daniellarson^[22] that showed Larson at a public gym showcasing a rash on his arm to the camera. The post received over 120 upvotes in 19 days (shown below).

Soon after, Redditors started comparing a screenshot of Larson's rash to medical images of scabies.^[23] On January 19th, 2023, Redditor Dragonfruit-Unable posted a screenshot to /r/Daniellarson^[24] purportedly from the Anaheim Crime Watch Facebook page that alerted the Californian locals about Larson live-streaming, taking photos of children and talking about having scabies in restaurants and businesses. If the post was real, it has since been deleted. It is unknown if the information in the alleged post is accurate and it's possible that an outsider troll posted the info in the Facebook group. Regardless, the Reddit post received over 420 likes in 11 days (shown below).

On January 28th, 2023, TikToker^[25] vladimirvonsputnik posted a photo slideshow including multiple screenshots and pieces of media (including the alleged Anaheim Crime Watch Facebook post) about Larson's possible scabies infection. The slideshow received roughly 6.2 million plays and 429,100 likes in three days.

Turkey Tom's "The Deranged Story of Daniel Larson" Video

On January 30th, 2023, YouTuber^[26] Turkey Tom posted a roughly 41-minute-long video about Daniel Larson titled, "The Deranged Story of Daniel Larson," which covered Larson's various "arcs" ranging from his "music career" to the "May 6th incident" to his then-recent break-up with Bob. In one day, the video received roughly 530,000 views and 23,000 likes (shown below).

On January 31st, 2023, YouTuber^[27] Papa Gut posted a reaction video to Turkey Tom's video titled, "Turkey Tom's Terrible Take On Daniel Larson." Papa Gut's roughly one-hour-long video emphasized that Turkey Tom was spreading misinformation about Larson. In one day, the video received roughly 7,600 views and over 330 likes (shown below).

Daniel Larson in New York City / World Of T-shirts Meet-up

On April 4th, 2023, Redditor Ok_Book_7521 posted a video to the /r/Daniellarson^[28] subreddit titled "IN THE BIG APPLE" and allegedly showed Larson in the passenger seat of a car driving through New York City. The video gained over 440 upvotes in less than a day. The video was quickly reposted by TikToker^[29] @cjhink89 on April 4th, gaining roughly 43,600 plays and 4,100 likes in less than a day (shown below).

Larson was in fact in New York City. According to posts in the /r/Daniellarson^[30] subreddit, a currently unknown fan of Larson purportedly flew him out to New York City and put him up in a local hotel. Other photos were shared by Redditor^[31][32] QuantumZazzy on April 4th, 2023, that showed him picking up Larson from a New York airport (shown below).

On April 6th, 2023, TikToker^[33] @oxthegoat (Ox) confirmed that Larson was in New York City, claiming that Larson had taken Greyhounds from Las Vegas, Nevada to Texas where he then got on a flight. Ox then stated that he'd likely been coaxed into going to New York by fake "Vanderwaals" who were likely telling Daniel that she was there. Ox alleged that Larson's fans were probably trying to make him meet World of T-shirts (a.k.a. Joshua Block). On TikTok, the two have been pushed into a Daniel Larson vs. World of T-shirts narrative since 2021. In one day, Ox's TikTok^[33] gained roughly 17,600 likes (shown below).

On April 4th, 2023, TikToker @thisismichaelquinn (a.k.a. Michael Quinn, a known collaborator and pseudo-mentor of World of T-shirts) posted a TikTok^[34] that stated someone had given his home address to Larson, earning roughly 215,200 plays and 10,400 likes in one day (shown below, left). Also on April 4th, Quinn posted a TikTok^[35] in which he said that he was going to hire bodyguards for Block to protect him from Larson, earning roughly 101,000 plays and 3,500 likes in one day (shown below, right).

Daniel Larson "Jumped" In New York

On April 6th, 2023, TikToker^[36] @danielmrpresident posted a video. It seemed to be a cropped screen-recording of Larson's most-recent TikTok Live in New York on his then-active account @daniellarsonworkbackup.^[37] In the video, Larson appeared hospitalized with a bandage over his nose and blood, proclaiming that he was "assaulted by two fans" after being in New York for less than 24 hours. The video gained roughly 467,400 plays and 37,000 likes in one day (shown below, left). Early in the morning on April 7th, Block (a.k.a. World of T-shirts) posted a TikTok^[39] video in which he taunted Larson for getting assaulted. The video gained roughly 228,900 plays and 26,100 likes in less than a day (shown below, right).

Joshua Block Meet-up On May 10th, 2023

On May 9th, 2023, TikToker^[40] @thisismichaelquinn posted a video in which we was having a meal with Daniel Larson, gaining roughly 129,300 plays and 7,600 likes in two days (shown below, left). About an hour later, Quinn uploaded a second TikTok^[41] in which he stated that Block agreed to meet Larson in real life, gaining roughly 277,300 plays and 22,200 likes in two days. On May 10th, 2023, Block posted a TikTok^[42] showing that he and Larson were together in real life in a New York City Starbucks. In less than a day, the video gained over 2.2 million plays and 428,000 likes (shown below, right). The May 10th, 2023, meet-up caused a large number of reactions and memes on social media in the days that followed.

July 2023 Walmart Arrest

On July 11th, 2023, multiple posts were uploaded to the /r/Daniellarson^[53][54][55] subreddit about Larson getting arrested in a Colorado Walmart for assaulting an employee shortly after his "dog" was "dognapped" from him. Bodycam footage of the arrest was never released. Per this, YouTuber^[56] Goated Mines posted a video on July 11th that was a phone conversation with Larson held on Discord shortly after the incident, receiving roughly 19,000 views in three months (shown below).

October 2023 Court Hearing

On October 31st, 2023, TikToker^[52] @luka564923 (among others) posted a clip of a recent hearing in Colorado in which Daniel Larson was present and was receiving his sentence for his July 2023 arrest at a Walmart where he allegedly assaulted an employee. The video that was posted by the TikToker received roughly 737,200 plays and 82,900 likes in a day (shown below). As evident in the clip, Larson was sentenced to six months of supervised probation.

September 2023 Arrest At University Of Colorado Boulder

On September 16th, 2023, Larson was arrested on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder for allegedly shoving a staff member at the college.^[43] He was arrested for 3rd Degree Assault (police record shown below).^[49] Prior to his arrest, Larson had been loitering around the Boulder college campus for a few days, partying with students who knew him, captured in TikTok^[44] videos amid the timeframe.

Content regarding Larson's arrest gained predominant traction when bodycam footage of his arrest surfaced online and was posted in a multi-part series by YouTuber^[45] History of Everything on September 21st, 2023. On the same day, YouTuber^[46] larsonleak posted a compilation of essential footage from the event, equating to a roughly 19-minute-long video that received over 9,200 views in one day (shown below).

In turn, a slew of bodycam footage went viral on TikTok^[47][48] on September 21st, 2023. Images of Larson in the back of a cop car and a photo of him in a courtroom wearing a prisoner's outfit were shared on the /r/Daniellarson^[50][51] subreddit (examples shown below).

The Olive Garden Incident

On December 10th, 2023, Daniel Larson went LIVE on YouTube at an Olive Garden in Colorado where he eventually pulled the fire alarm, resulting in his arrest and another court date being arranged for him by police. At Olive Garden, he'd allegedly not paid for his food and was under the impression that the staff was printing out documents about him. He was ultimately being manipulated by so-called trolls who were using the usual Grace Vanderwaal and music industry bait, convincing him that the FBI was outside.

A full-length documentation of the incident was uploaded by YouTuber^[57] larsonleak on December 10th, gaining roughly 47,700 views in two days (shown below).

Other videos of the Olive Garden incident went viral on TikTok, such as a video posted by TikToker^[58] @daniellarsonpredator on December 11th, 2023, that received over 3.5 million plays in one day.

Bumsndrones Footage

On January 3rd, 2023, the TikToker and drone footage content creator @bumsndrones^[59] uploaded a video showing him flying his drone close to Daniel Larson, aggravating him into faking a punch at the drone, and baiting reactions out of him. This video would go viral, with some fans of Daniel Larson split on supporting the behavior or not (shown below).

Aurora, Colorado Arrest

On February 2nd, 2024, Daniel Larson was arrested by police in Aurora, Colorado, purportedly for evasion of justice after repeatedly not showing up to court in violation of the terms of his PR bond.^[60] On February 6th, the police bodycam footage of his arrest was obtained and uploaded to YouTube (seen below).

Federal Arrest

Daniel Larson's Federal Arrest, also known as Daniel Larson Federal Charges, refers to the federal arrest of Daniel Larson in late April 2024. Larson was charged with seven counts, consisting of six counts of "Use or Threatened Use of Explosive" and one count of "Interstate Communication of Threats." If convicted, Larson would face multiple decades of jail time. Discourse and reactions to Larson's federal arrest surfaced across social media sites like TikTok and Reddit, among others, in May 2024. Many shared Larson's mugshot and posted memes about Federal Agent Daniel MacDougall who was tasked with Larson's case and arrest.

Search Interest

External References