Eugene Lee Yang Announces Departure From The Try Guys in Emotional New Video
It’s his time. After years of speculation, internet star Eugene Lee Yang announced his departure from viral YouTube channel The Try Guys.
On May 23, Yang officially announced that he is leaving The Try Guys. In a video titled, “Love, Eugene,” he shares the decision with fans along with the motivation behind it. “It is with immense gratitude and unconditional love for Zach, Keith, our partners, our staff, and all of you who have supported us, that I’m announcing my official departure from The Try Guys. After ten profoundly impactful years, my time here on YouTube has come to an end,” he explains.
Eugene is leaving the try guys :(((( i'm gonna miss you @EugeneLeeYang thanks for everything you've done for the channel pic.twitter.com/hrbRJEeKH0
— Kevina (@EASYEXPRESS0) May 23, 2024
@EugeneLeeYang has officially left @TryGuys. I'm gonna cry and throw up! I LOVE Zach & Keith, but Eugene is SO SPECIAL to me!!! pic.twitter.com/KLTKaoZWh2
— Kim Olson (@ItsKimOlson) May 23, 2024
The entertainer helped found the YouTube powerhouse alongside Zach Kornfeld, Keith Habersberger, and Ned Fulmer. The idea for the channel started while the group was employed at BuzzFeed, originating from their video, “Guys Try On Ladies’ Underwear for the First Time.” In June 2018, The Try Guys left the company to launch 2nd Try, LLC, and create their own incredibly successful YouTube channel.
Now, Yang is leaving the company he helped create. However, he is not the first founding member to do so; Fulmer was removed from the channel in September 2022 when his co-workers became aware of his affair with an employee. The scandal became widely discussed online, even having a controversial Saturday Night Live sketch created about the announcement. The new video references the iconic moment as Kornfeld asks, “So, should we do the whole three guys one couch?” before joining his peer onscreen.
Fans suspected the writer’s desire to move on from the group for a long time, with some speculating that Fulmer’s sudden departure prevented him from leaving. Kornfeld seemingly alludes to this, revealing, “Some of you guys may have seen this coming for a while as Eugene’s schedule has gotten busier over the past few years. We thank you for your patience regarding a formal clarification. We wish we could have told you sooner, but certain circumstances outside of our control kind of challenged the three of us to come together in solidarity, and I’m very glad that we did.”
eugene leaving isn't surprising at all considering how he's barely in any try guys vids for the past few months and even if he were, you could see that he wasn't as passionate about it anymore the same way he did for the past years. it's sad but it was only a matter of time.
— g (@one2sevenoclock) May 23, 2024
Yang thanks his colleagues for their support. He remarks, “I want to preface this by giving my heartfelt thanks to Zach and Keith, my bespectacled baby brothers, my tall and tiny nerd.” The star continues, “I have no idea how we ended up on this wild journey together, but I couldn’t have asked for better, smarter, weirder, funnier, and, above all, kinder individuals to have ridden alongside. It’s been a great, irreplicable honor that I will always treasure. And, though our time in viral videos may be over, our friendship is forever.”
The YouTuber emphasizes that his exit does not come from negativity towards his peers. “I’d like to reiterate, in case anyone misinterprets this as some kind of interpersonal ill will, that this is the furthest thing from drama. We have been through the worst version of that together, and all of my decisions have been made in consideration of what we built,” he states. Pointing to his fellow founders, he adds, “And these two will always have my undying support, even if it happens to be from afar. Rest assured that the three of us have been discussing and planning these major changes together for a very long time now.”
Kornfeld admits, “Of course, there’s really no perfect time for this. This was always going to be bittersweet, and we know that.” He continues, “We agreed, though, that now makes the most sense considering all the exciting new things that are happening at the company and in our lives.”
The day before the announcement, The Try Guys published “the new try guys,” a video explaining all of the changes coming to the channel. In it, they announce that they are launching a new streaming platform, 2nd Try TV, where fans can view “uncensored content, exclusive episodes, early access, and more.”
They also shared that they are expanding the cast. Ash Perez makes a cameo, jokingly declaring, “I heard you needed a new guy.” The new team includes Perez, as well as Kwesi James, Jonny Manganello, Jared Popkin, Miles Bonsignore, Marissa Rivera, YB Biste, Joyce Louis-Jean, Ryan Garcia, Chris O’Brien, Kailo Elms, and Alexo Prieto.
Bonsignore noted the irony of his return after his dramatic departure back in September 2023. Parodying the iconic “Why I Left BuzzFeed” format, the former TryPod host explained his decision in his “Why I Left Try Guys” video. Now, the podcaster jokes, “I am now a Try Guy 8 months after I quit my job at Try Guys.”
I am now a Try Guy 8 months after I quit my job at Try Guys pic.twitter.com/LW3LfUmSGd
— miles bonsignore (@milesbon) May 26, 2024
“We like to think that we’re not really losing Eugene, but we’re gaining so many more perspectives that deserve the opportunity to shine.” Habersberger expresses. He then admits, “However, we cannot let Eugene go without filming one last season of classic Try Guys videos.” A final season of videos featuring the original trio is available now on 2nd Try TV and will later appear on YouTube.
About his decision to leave, Yang further reveals, “In regards to my time, which is the primary issue we’ve cited, yes, I have become enormously inundated with work. I’m the busiest I’ve ever been in my entire life, and I’m so, so thankful to be committing my blood, sweat, and tears into projects that mean the world to me.” He continues, “To express this as simply as possible, working full-time here became untenable, and it’s evident that I can’t continue keeping one foot in… That will only disappoint all parties involved, especially you, the viewers who have stood by us. So, for clarity’s sake, we’ve decided to establish a clean break.”
The writer and director teases future projects currently in the works. He shares plans for a feature film in collaboration with Killer Films, his directorial debut, a fiction novel published by MacMillan and Feiwel & Friends described as “an epic queer fantasy duology, which releases in 2025,” and a twisted horror fantasy musical graphic novel tilted Buckaroo created with the help of Vault Comics. “And you can expect more news about that and many other developments I can’t mention yet in the very near future,” he hints.
“My primary passions are writing and directing in the film and literary spaces, and my focus has always been on fiction behind the camera and the pen,” the writer shares. “I have worked here online proudly for a decade and will always champion how profound and spectacular this medium can be, but after this past decade of work… I’ve come to terms with the fact that this simply isn’t the right space for me,” he reveals.
Furthermore, he touches on the negative impacts of having an online presence on his mental health. “The internet can be a fun, rewarding, fantastic place where many creatives shine, including my colleagues who are so, so talented at what they do. In truth, more often than not, I’ve experienced the opposite effect, and leaving will be the best decision for preserving my mental health,” Yang admits.
“I already contend with a complex relationship with my identities, so, to have to casually discuss and publicize them at length, often in a positive and humorous manner, was exceptionally tough,” the queer icon shares. “The best, brightest version of myself is the me that can disappear behind my work, and that should be okay,” he asserts.
Despite its negative aspects, Yang also emphasizes the positive side of his online career: “I don’t want the summary of my issues to diminish the countless occasions where I have genuinely felt growth, connection, and happiness. A vital aspect of my time with y’all online was my coming out journey.” The LGBTQ+ star came out in a video titled “I’m Gay” back in 2019.
Through tears, he recalls, “That was undeniably raw and real, and I have grown so much louder and prouder about such a controlled, buried part of myself that was largely due to how emboldened I became because of so many of you out there, and I am eternally grateful for that.” The director then continues, “I’ve also become uncompromisingly secure and appreciative of my representing of Asianess, of my Asianess… To even be considered a voice in our community is an honor I hold dear every waking moment because I was someone who had always felt so voiceless before.”
“Overall, I’ve undergone an invaluable kind of education that could only happen through social media. It’s inspired me to champion progressive values, even when the world tries to stamp them out. I fully embrace the power of activism, and I’m more dedicated than ever to lead projects that explore and employ underrepresented talent,” the creator explains.
Yang concludes, “Although I’ve confessed the more stressful facets of my ten years on YouTube, if I ever happened to make you smile or laugh or cry, then please know that you were instrumental in keeping me going because you inspired me.”
He mentions plans to return for future content, just not as an official member. The artist remarks, “I sincerely hope to guest star in future videos, and I don’t want to risk them being tainted by any embitterment. I want us to collectively look forward to those reunions with joy.”
The star ends the emotional video by stating, “I hope y’all enjoy my final season of videos ahead, but this is my official sign-off from the internet for the last time as a Try Guy. And, as a guy who still has much to try, I know we’ll meet again. Love, Eugene.”
We wish Eugene the best of luck on his new journey. Readers can support The Try Guys in their next chapter by watching their videos on 2nd Try TV and YouTube. You can also view Eugene’s goodbye video below.
