TikTok Stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray Face Charges After House Party Breaks Coronavirus Lockdown Rules

TikTok stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray are facing criminal charges in Los Angeles after hosting house parties during the coronavirus pandemic. Los Angeles prosecutors said they held a party on Aug. 8 and were issued a police warning. Less than a week later, police were back at the house and found several hundred people partying on Hall’s 21st birthday.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced the two would face misdemeanors for allegedly violating local health orders. They could be sentenced to a year in jail and face a fine of up to $2,000. Feuer said Hall and Blake had “hundreds of people” at the rented home they share in the Hollywood Hills and turned their parties into “really out of control nightclubs.” They “hijacked the quality of life” for their neighbors, Feuer said.

“As if that weren’t enough, the hosts are incredibly irresponsible, with COVID-19 spreading and parties banned because of it. We’ve got to put a stop to it,” Feuer said. “If you have a combined 19-million followers on TikTok during this health crisis, you should be modeling good behavior–not brazenly violating the law and posting videos about it, as we allege.”

According to prosecutors, police were called to Hall and Gray’s home on Saturday, Aug. 8. The Los Angeles Police Department officers gave them a warning, telling them their parties were banned under the Maroy’s Safer L.A. Order. Hall received a Party House citation, and officers stayed until attendees left. Six days later, LAPD officers were called to the house because of a report of “shots fired.” Although they found no evidence of a gun, they saw “several hundred people” there for Hall’s birthday party. Gray told officers he was aware of the Aug. 8 citation and he received another one. On Aug. 19, Los Angeles cut the power to the home.

Feuer said he hopes the charges will inspire others to take the city’s orders seriously. “Everyone’s health in our community depends on remaining vigilant,” he said, reports CNN. The prosecutor noted it is not known if any coronavirus cases are linked to the parties. Attendees will not face charges or citations. Feuer also announced charges for Jianwei Bai and David Marvisi, who also received multiple citations for their parties.

Los Angeles County is the hardest hit in California, with over 230,000 coronavirus cases and over 5,500 deaths, according to USA Today. Overall, the state has over 691,000 confirmed cases and at least 12,677 deaths as of Friday. The U.S. has the most coronavirus cases worldwide, with 5.9 million confirmed. More than 181,000 Americans have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data.