Fact Check

Internet Celebrity Daniel Lara Wasn't Mugged for His Shoes

A fake news article claimed Lara, who goes by "Damn Daniel" on Vine, had been robbed for his signature Vans.

Published Feb. 22, 2016

Claim:
Internet celebrity "Damn Daniel" was mugged and robbed of his shoes.

On 21 February 2016, the entertainment web site Huzlers published a fake news article claiming that Daniel Lara, star of the popular "Damn Daniel" Vine videos, was mugged for his signature white Vans shoes:

After the “Damn Daniel” video of a California teenager recording his friend “Daniel” and saying the phrase “Damn Daniel” multiple times as he walks around the school looking cool and wearing his white vans went extremely viral on the Internet, it is being reported that “Daniel”, real name Daniel Lara, is being hospitalized in critical condition after he was severely beaten and robbed for his white vans just outside his home in California Saturday night, just only a few days after the “Damn Daniel” video went viral.

The above-quoted story refers to a viral Vine video in which an off-screen voice calls out "Damn Daniel" in praise of a teenager's shoes:

In addition to publishing a fictitious story about "Damn Daniel's" mugging, Huzlers also created an eBay listing for Daniel's shoes. While the eBay listing is real (the current bid is at $50,300), the sale was created by "Huzlers4" and has no ties to the real "Damn Daniel".  In fact, the Huzlers listing is one of many fake eBay posts for shoes worn by "Damn Daniel":

damn daniel shoes

In addition to Huzlers' penchant for fake news, neither star Lara nor Josh Holz, who created the viral Vines, have posted anything about a violent mugging and the theft of Daniel's signature shoes:

Screenshot 2016-02-22 at 11.56.55 AM

Huzlers is a fake news web site that does not publish factual stories:

Huzlers.com is the most notorious fauxtire entertainment website in the world founded by Pancho Villa in 1922. Huzlers is shared by trillions around the world and known for the most shocking headlines.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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