Influencers remove anti-Covid rules videos; Famke Louise apologizes

A large number of Dutch influencers and celebrities have removed anti-coronavirus rules videos they posted earlier this week under the hashtag #ikdoenietmeermee. This includes Famke Louise, who she no longer supports the message and apologized for the confusion in a new post on Instagram.

The influencer and YouTuber told her over 1 million followers that it was never her intention to encourage people not to follow the measures in place against the coronavirus. "I realize the seriousness of making unsubstantiated statements," she said. "I would like to apologize to all who have felt hurt or confused and promise to better do my best."

Famke Louise appeared on talk show Jinek on Tuesday. In that episode, it was mainly Diederik Gommers, head of the Netherlands' association for intensive care units NVIC, who shone. He calmly countered the influencer's somewhat confused arguments against the coronavirus rules and offered to continue this discussion with her and the others who joined the #ikdoenietmeermee action.

On Instagram, Famke Louise said that the talk show was not her best performance. "I was nervous and I was not able to tell my story the way I wanted to," she wrote. "The intention at Jinek was to offer a different perspective and also be able to give a bit of opposition. I am a go-getter and wanted to live up to my words by making myself known on TV, what I could not have foreseen was the total silence and lack of support around me."

"While I did not find this very surprising, I could again have assessed the situation better," she said. "I want to bear my responsibility now. I therefore announce that I am taking that video down because I no longer support that message."

A number of other celebrities and influencers also removed their #ikdoenietmeermee videos, most without saying anything about it. According to Dutch online hip-hop platform Puna, this includes Bizzey, Rugged, Trobi, Dyna, Outsiders, DJ Chuckie, Zoe Livay, Abstract, Yes-R, and Kosso. Singer Tim Douwsma also removed his video.