Ned Fulmer. You may know him as the wife-obsessed, self-proclaimed “dad” member of the Internet group the Try Guys. You might not know him at all, but you have probably seen the recent influx of TikToks and Tweets trolling his recent infidelity scandal.
The affair first came to light in early September when fans noticed Ned and a dark-haired woman being affectionate in a nightclub in New York. Claims that the woman was producer Alexandria Herring surfaced on Twitter. After the original sighting, more people came forward with photographic evidence of the pair.
The Try Guys production company worked very quickly to remove Ned Fulmer from recent and future productions. Their editing team worked around the clock to remove clips of him from their YouTube videos and their TV show that just aired this past August.
Ned came out with a statement on his Instagram account, confirming that he had been in a consensual work relationship with Alex and that it had been going on for over a year at that point.
With the quick work of the Second Try LLC management team, the remaining Try Guys signed off an approval form to remove Ned Fulmer as not only a manager but an employee altogether. The Try Guys Instagram then published a statement claiming that they would be cutting all ties with Ned Fulmer, and removing him from the production team, which Ned reposted on his Instagram story for 24 hours.
About a week later, the remaining three Try Guys, Keith Habersberger, Eugene Lee Yang, and Zach Kornfield, posted a much-anticipated explanation video titled, “What Happened”. The three of them expressed disappointment and confusion with Ned’s actions, claiming that they had no idea about the relationship prior to the public’s knowledge.
The video was disputed as fans noticed sly comments and looks from the other Try Guys towards Ned in recent videos. Many fans were also quick to point out that the entire group, plus several members of the production team, were present during Ned’s public interactions with Alex and several other young women.
People are confused why a man who had seemed so devovted to his wife, and being a husband, would throw away his relationship and entire reputation. Alex Herring was also engaged (after dating her fiance for over a decade). Why did he harp so aggressively on his devotion and admiration to his wife Ariel for years, just to end the facade in such an aggressive way?
Ned’s ability to move up the ranks in the Buzzfeed corporate ladder was based on his ability to create a character for himself. He became known as the “wife guy,” and was known for how much he doted on and was devoted to his wife, Ariel Fulmer. He made being a husband his professional job, essentially.
Traditionally, marriage was something that people just did; you grew up, got married, had kids, and worked until you either retired or died. In recent years, marriage has become more of a personal achievement— something that is chosen rather than just done. Men aren’t known for public vocalization of love and admiration for their wives, so for someone to consistently express his excitement to be married is almost admirable. Ned was praised for giving his wife the attention so many women would like to receive themselves.
While the “wife guy” persona might not have been something he wanted to continue as his career developed, Ned must have known that without it, he would lose his fan base. Women loved how much he loved; they wanted someone to do that for them, so seeing Ned do that for Ariel gave them hope they could have a relationship like that someday.
The more Ned profited off of being the “wife guy,” the more exaggerated it got. The Try Guys production team pumped out video after video devoted to not only Ned and his wife but the partners of all of the guys. A simple search of “wife” on the Try Guys YouTube channel page pulls up dozens, if not hundreds, of videos about their wives. Many of their most viewed videos are centered around Ned’s family, his babies, and pregnancy.
Not only do the Try Guys profit off of the “wife guy” branding, but their partners have started their own respective channel and podcast, called the Try Wives, where they imitate the styling and formatting of a traditional Try Guys video.
Without the ability to maintain the “wife guys” persona, the Try Guys and the Try Wives brands have essentially crumbled. Seeing as the entirety of Ned’s career stood on the single leg of his devoted husband shtick, there is nothing he can really do to rebuild it and regain the trust of the general public— even if Ariel hasn’t left him yet.