Noah Beck defended himself and other popularinfluencers , including Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, for vacationing to the Bahamas during the pandemic.- Beck, 19, said the group needed to "disconnect for a little" and "reset," but remained cautious while in Nassau, Bahamas, in December.
- Beck, the D'Amelio sisters, and other
TikTok stars faced backlash from fans for taking an international trip amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Charli D'Amelio was specifically called out because she previously encouraged her fans to follow COVID-19 health guidelines.
Noah Beck defended himself and other TikTok stars after they traveled to the Bahamas during the pandemic - but fans still weren't buying it.
Speaking to Pop Galore on Wednesday, Beck addressed the ongoing backlash he and others, including Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, received after at least seven influencers traveled to the Bahamas for a December vacation.
At the time, fans lashed out at the influencers on social media for doing international travel during a pandemic, which has infected more than 21 million Americans and killed at least 368,947, according to data from John Hopkins University.
"It is what it is," said Beck, 19, referring to the backlash. "I think, especially the business we're in, it's, like, you need some time to kind of disconnect for a little. That's what that was meant for. It was just a little trip to get away."
While the Bahamas getaway was "really fun," Beck claimed that the group was "very cautious" while abroad. He said the group took a private jet to the island where they stayed in a cabana in a secluded area and "no one was near us."
"There were a few times where we went into the water park area, but the whole hotel itself was at 20 percent capacity so there was barely anyone there," Beck said.
When asked if fans were overreacting to the trip, Beck said he understood the backlash but suggested people outraged about the vacation would gladly join them if given the chance.
"It's just kind of funny because let's say, that someone who's commenting on our stuff, like, 'You guys need to stay home,' and stuff like that," Beck said. "Let's say we DM one of them, like, 'Yo, we want to fly you out to the Bahamas.' If they say yeah, then you screenshot it and say, 'this you?' or something like that."
He continued, "No matter what we do in life, people are going to say things. I always say, 'do what makes you happy.'"
Beck said that throughout the pandemic, the TikTok stars followed public health guidelines, and the Bahamas trip was needed for a "reset."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised against travel during the pandemic, which "can increase your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19."
Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19," the agency says in its guidelines.
Fans were unimpressed by Beck's remarks and continued to criticize the influencers online
In the comment section under Pop Galore's interview, people called Beck and the influencers "selfish" for their behavior.
"The health care workers who really need and deserve time to "disconnect" cannot because of people like you," one person wrote.
"Please- this is so embarrassing," one user wrote. "They wanted to get away from what? Their million dollars mansions? Access to a bunch of beaches in California? "
"The amount of hate they get is not okay. It can be very damaging to your mental health, BUT that does not make it okay to travel during a global pandemic where they are potentially putting themselves and others at risk. it's selfish and immature," they added.
"PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY DYING," one user wrote. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a break but traveling is out of the question. Healthcare workers are out there with the mess people like them caused. Don't be selfish and quarantine, social distance, and wear a mask!"
Some people suggested the influencers should have taken a staycation in Los Angeles, where many of them live, or simply taken a screen break.
"Noah, if you guys wanted to 'discount for the business you're in,' you could've just turned your phone off. And not go to the Bahamas in a deadly pandemic," they said.
"If he needed a break he could've just deactivated his accounts and stayed in his big mansion," a commenter wrote.
A group of popular influencers - including Beck, Charli, and Dixie D'Amelio - traveled to the Bahamas around Christmas
As previously reported by Entertainment Tonight Canada, at least seven content creators were spotted at an island resort during the holiday season.
The outlet, citing the Instagram account TikTok Room, reported young influencers Beck, Chase Hudson, Avani Gregg, Madi Monroe, Bryant, and the D'Amelio sisters were in attendance.
BuzzFeed News reported they appeared to be at Atlantis Paradise Island, where people cannot enter without a negative COVID-19 test, according to Atlantis' website.
Neither Charli, 16, nor Dixie, 19, have spoken out about the trip.
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