TikTok Star Bryce Hall Involved in Fight at L.A. Restaurant: This 'Isn't Who I Am'
Bryce Hall
TikTok star Bryce Hall was involved in a physical fight with restaurant staff while dining out in Los Angeles Monday.
In video footage obtained by TMZ, Hall is seen in an altercation with a restaurant employee. The two are seen interlocked as they fall to the ground, banging into other tables in the outdoor dining area.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Hall explained his side of the story, claiming the altercation occurred after he was asked to stop vaping. (It is illegal to vape at restaurants in California.) The social media star, 21, said the fight broke out after the staffer went inside to run his credit card.
"I did vape in the outdoor seating area of the restaurant. However, when the manager approached me and requested I leave, I obliged and asked for my card that was being held with my table," Hall said in the statement. "I had to ask for it well over 10 times (I still don’t have the card back) and he said 'No, get the f--- off the property.' He then grabbed me and tried to pull me out so I threw his hand off and said 'Don’t touch me, what’re you doing?' and he proceeded to grab me again."
When Hall’s friend noticed the situation escalating and jumped in the middle of it, Hall says he attempted to stop the fight himself.
"Then my friend walked in the middle of us to stop the commotion and the two of them started pushing each other. I put my hand in the middle and tried to stop it," he said. "The manager then proceeded to tackle my friend to the ground and that’s when I got on top of him and put him in a headlock in an attempt to get him to stop fighting. Then his employees walked over and started kicking me."
He continued: "Any other variation of the story is categorically false. I have witnesses that contacted me and offered to come forward if need be. I also have a video that a bystander sent me that will show a lot of what happened."
Bryce Hall/ Instagram Bryce Hall
"The version of the story that is being portrayed is missing a lot of context and isn’t who I am," Hall concluded. "It isn’t who my mom — a single mother who has only love in her heart — raised me to be. When I was young, my dad abused me and my mom and was removed from the house. From that day forth, I swore that I will never become like my father. This story portrays me to be like my dad and I can’t respond with ‘no comment’ like my PR team wanted me to. This is a matter of moral clarity; not about protecting my name."
In the video, Hall is seen laughing and walking away after the fight.
“You guys are out of here, you guys are rude and disrespectful,” one woman can be heard saying in the video. “You guys are a bunch of punks.”
As he leaves the restaurant, Hall said, “My mom hits harder than that.”
The police were called but did not arrive until after Hall and his friends left, according to TMZ. The LAPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
The incident is not Hall’s first brush with the law. In August, he reportedly had his utilities shut off by city authorities after hosting a massive 21st birthday party that went viral for violating Los Angeles' novel coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing mandates.
Several months earlier, in May, Hall was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana while on a road trip in Texas.
A post shared by Bryce Hall (@brycehall) on Oct 2, 2020 at 10:58am PDT
RELATED: TikTok's Bryce Hall Says He's 'Learning' and Growing' After Arrest: 'I Will Make You Proud'
According to the jail administrator for the Lee County Sheriff's Office in Texas, Hall was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces, which is a misdemeanor. He posted his $5,000 bail the following day.
In an essay for PEOPLE at the time, he opened up about how the incident changed his perspective on life and pushed him to grow.
“As a huge step towards making real changes, I started on the path of getting sober. It’s been transformative,” he wrote. “While I will still drink occasionally, gone are the times of drinking heavily every day. After getting sober, my body and mind feel amazing. I’m more focused than ever before and am constantly working hard on my brand and have never been more excited to post amazing content for my fans on social media.”
He added, “There is a time and a place for everything — for partying, for working hard, and for making a difference. I want people to know Bryce Hall for all three; not just the first. But most of all, I want my mom to know that she raised a great son. While I’ve messed up in the past, I’m learning and growing … and I will make you proud. I promise.”
