Influencer slammed over 'degrading' act towards homeless person

A YouTuber in Australia has been hit with backlash after sharing a video of himself throwing money over people experiencing homelessness.

Social media star Luke Erwin, who goes by LukeErwin23 on YouTube, took to the platform to share footage of him standing over a man who was sat on the floor outside a shop window, with a blanket over his legs, a cup set out for donations and a sign in front of him explaining his situation.

Before he started throwing the money, the influencer explained the scene was as part of a new series called 'Making it rain with Luke Erwin'.

He then showered the man with $5 AUD (£2.91/$3.50) notes amounting to $100 (£58/$70), while the man quickly grabbed at them.

As the notes fluttered to the ground, Erwin said: "It's all yours, mate. No one's going to take it from you, you f*****g sick c***."

The influencer instructed the man not to go on a 'f*****g bender' with the money, before taking the notes and stuffing them into the cup on the floor.

When explaining the 'Making it Rain' series, Erwin said he knew $100 was a 'bit stingy' but noted the money 'could be someone's rent'.

In a clip posted separately on TikTok, he turned his attention to a nearby woman also experiencing homelessness and called out 'woo' as he threw money over her.

Some TikTok users responded to Luke's video to say he was a 'good lad' and describe him as 'awesome', but many have also slammed the influencer for the 'degrading' way he chose to donate the money.

"It's a bit humiliating and disrespectful," one person wrote, while another commented: "That is disgusting how dare you do something like that to a homeless person I don't get why do it like that just hand it in his hand."

A third TikToker wrote: "That’s so degrading."

In the wake of the backlash, Erwin acknowledged he's had people accusing him of 'degrading' the people experiencing homelessness, but told LADbible: "Really I gave two people $100 each, people are struggling for rent and I'm out here bloody giving them a bit of cash to buy a cheeseburger meal or two. I'm just supporting people buying cheeseburgers."

Erwin has racked up thousands of followers and subscribers on TikTok and YouTube, where he also shares videos chatting with guests on his 'Talking Sh*t' series, and sharing insights to his life and relationship.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/LukeErwin23

Topics: Money, TikTok, YouTube, Social Media, Viral

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.