Last week, YouTuber Ethan Dolan shared an announcement with fans, telling them that he was going to take a break from filming videos in order to recover from having hand surgery. And just a few days prior to that, he opened up on Twitter about mental health, explaining to his followers that he was in a "sh*tty place mentally."
In a new video, both Ethan and his brother Grayson are now sharing the full story behind Ethan's hand surgery — and it turns out that Grayson suffered an injury as well. The video, which is titled "It's Time to Be Honest," begins with the twins talking about the importance of being open and real with their fans. They explain that internet fame can come with an emotional price, and that they've both experienced bouts of anxiety connected to the pressure of stardom.
As the 5-minute video progresses, Ethan opens up about his hand injury, explaining that it happened while filming a video that was causing him a lot of stress. "A lot of the things we had planned for the video fell through all at once and we realized it wasn’t really going to be possible to get [it] up," he says. "I get really stressed out and I start to lose control of myself. My brain is just taking over my body at this point...and then Grayson came over to try and help me calm down. It, like, wasn’t even me at that point." He later elaborates that he had punched a window out of frustration, adding: "I’m not thinking at this point, I just wanted to break something. I look down at my hand, after I did that, and I had the worst wound I’ve ever had in my life on my hand."
Grayson chimes in to explain how he tried to help Ethan, saying that he hates to see his twin in any sort of pain, be it physical or emotional. "I grabbed onto him, he started running and then we both fell to the ground. When I got up, I looked at my hand and my finger was bent sideways and cracked."
Because both brothers were injured, they had to be taken to the hospital for medical treatment. They explain that Ethan ended up having a piece of glass inside his hand that required stitches and surgery, while Grayson just needed a cast.
"Uploading this video is going to be hard for us," Grayson says towards the end of the clip, adding that he feels "super vulnerable." But he also notes that he feels better having shared their story and being honest about the emotional toll that fame can sometimes take. Ethan adds that "it's not selfish to focus on yourself," emphasizing that both brothers need to take some time to feel better — both physically and mentally. We're glad that Ethan and Grayson are being so honest about their experience, and their story is an important reminder that it's essential to always value your health as a top priority.
