He said, “During my tenure at Couch Guy, my body language was analysed frame by frame, with armchair psychopathy diagnoses, and comparisons to convicted killers. There were also general discussions about my bad vibes.”

Robert explained that people went as far as trying to uncover personal details about his identity, including his “name, birthdate and place of residence,” adding “the threat of doxxing loomed over my head.”

In real life, he said that people also began to bother him at his home.

He said, “For example, when a resident of my apartment posted a TikTok Video, which amassed 2.3 Million views, of him slipping a paper under my door in order to request an interview. (I didn’t respond. I did not reply. One viewer laughed and commented: “Even if this man turned off his cellphone, he can’t escape from the couch guy notifications.”

“Exacerbating the invasions on my privacy was tabloid-style media attention that I received,” he said. He explained that it made him, a private citizen who has had a minimal online presence before, an unwilling celebrity recipient.