The fact that the person who hacked his account was a friend is probably the greatest plot twist I have ever seen.

I totally forgot about this guy. That moment he stands up and the girl is flabbergasted never gets old

Dude really just stood up and walked into his downfall

The fact Twitch said they have "zero tolerance for this behavior" is the real joke. They protect streamers that do this all the time and ban the smaller ones. Twitch is the real joke

Honestly, being honest about his recovery journey would have probably gotten him _more_ support and _more_ donations than pretending to be wheelchair-bound the whole time. Never underestimate the power of compassion. Humans want to see each other getting better. Lying was the wrong move on every possible level.

He had ONE job - to not stand up and walk on camera HOW CAN YOU FUCK THAT UP

I’m disabled. I use a cane because of a neurological condition (still in the diagnostic process tho) and I have to say while people shouldn’t be surprised if a wheelchair user stands (70% of wheelchair users are ambulatory users meaning they can stand) i understand why the audience reacted that way

I might actually have believed his bs "I just didn't think to tell people about it" story if he hadn't insisted that he fell and was in pain when he got up and walked away lol

Its important to note that most wheelchair users can still walk fine or have some level of mobility. Theres plenty of health conditions apart from paralysis that benefit from wheelchair use especially when out and about.

I mean, I'm a wheelchair user who can also stand/walk a little. So instantly assuming someone's faking when they stand is no bueno. But this dude is a piece of work with his gaslighting - he's the reason why folk like me have to fight for recognition of wheelchair users who can walk but still genuinely need a chair.

That clip of him standing up and just simply walking away really is one of the greatest steamer moments in internet history. The utter lack of care and the simple devastation of just standing up is unparalleled. Most creators have to say something to do something violent/abhorrent. This dude got up out of a chair and ended his whole career 😆

I think this guy was legitimately disabled temporarily, and just chose to maintain the "handicapped guy" image to garner sympathy and donations because it's probably a big part of what made him recognizable. Sure, it's better than faking the whole thing, but it's still lame and dishonest.

If he just said after the stream that he wasn't completely paralysed everything would have been fine. I know wheelchair users who can walk around but they still need a wheelchair. But he tried to gaslight the audience into thinking something else which really made it look like he was lying.

Hi Sunny, I appreciate you fairly covering this story. For viewers: Ever since I spoke with Zilian / Itsblooish back in 2020 and saw the prior photos of him in a wheelchair I realized much of what had been said about him in the past was mostly unsubstantiated bullshit. In my view, Zilian's biggest mistake was not updating his stream regarding his physical therapy progress. He never created a fake disability, and as far as I know he never told anyone he wouldn't be able to walk again. Rather Zilian was actively participating in physical therapy to regain his mobility and needed the wheelchair in the interim. But with him always in the wheelchair on camera, some viewers naturally assumed he was permanently paralyzed and were stunned when he stood up on stream. The clip goes viral, and the "handicapped streamer fakes a disability" narrative becomes part of internet history. Zilian was banned for faking a disability, which is something he provably didn't do. That said, he made many mistakes, which he has admitted to. He should have been updating his stream on his physical therapy and mobility status so a misunderstanding like this could never occur. I agree with Sunny, Zilian has learned his lesson and in my view should be given the chance to simply EXIST on the internet. So shoutout to Sunny and shoutout to ItsBlooish/Zilian. Take care folks.

When I was in a wheelchair I was able to get up and step away from it. I mean it’s not for long periods of time. But I feel like he saw a opportunity and used it to his advantage when those donations was coming in.. he kinda told on himself. Like he said he should’ve just been like hey I was able to get up and take steps in therapy so ppl wouldn’t have been so surprised.

This one is both messed up yet hilarious at the same time 😂

I'm fairly convinced that even though he clearly didn't mean to fake a disability from the get go, seeing how it garnered sympathy and support for him and his career he chose not to disclose his rehabilitation.

I love how ive never heard of these people yet the stories are always told in the best way possible. Great job Sunny

Quite a few wheelchair users can walk a few steps without needing the chair. But its the story and evidence around it that made it suspicious. Not just the reaction of his girlfriend, but also the camera pointing down, the end of the stream and the fact that he tried to cover it up by saying that he fell.

can't wait for every single streamer to react to this

The standing up wouldn't make me that suspicious. Even my Granny who needed a wheelchair could get out of it and do a few steps without it and yet she was bound to a wheelchair. It is his girlfriends reaction after he stood up that clearly indicates that they both knew they were faking it at that point.

Man could still have a career if he just acted like god did a miracle to him once he realize he stood up in front of the camera

In my opinion; I think dude had a SMALL injury for a SMALL period of time where, at a push *no pun intended* he used a wheelchair. He then notices that his donations on Twitch become more regular and milks that opportunity. I don’t doubt he’d still be doing it now if he wasn’t caught without, or in this WITH, a leg to stand on…

It's the way he immediately lied about falling and injuring himself when caught that makes me think he intentionally omitted his recovery because it had become a successful part of his brand and identity.

So he never meant to fake a disability, but why did he think it was a good idea to keep his rehabilitation progress a secret? Seems kinda suspircious how his girl would get shocked at him standing up in front of the camera, unless they talked about using and keeping up his disability as part of his image? On the bright side, he learned his lesson and decided to keep moving forward

Bro I’m so proud of you man you’ve come so far since the rise and fall videos love you man fr😭

This reminds me a bit of some of my experiences as an ambulatory wheelchair user. I don't always need the chair, but there are also days where I can't do anything without it. Disclosing this information is important in certain situations, especially in those where people are monetarily supporting you because of the fact that you have a disability. Being able to walk when you use a wheelchair is absolutely fine, but you absolutely must be transparent about the fact that you are not completely dependent upon it.

He had a disability sure but clearly there was malicious intent there. His gf freaked out when he stood up on stream then he moved the camera. Afterwards he lies and said he fell. He knew what he was doing. I can't say I feel sorry for him.

A friendly reminder that there are wheelchair users who can stand and walk. Due to different reasons, some people might only need wheelchairs for specific situations. So next time you see a person in a wheelchair stand up and walk, don’t immediately assume they’re faking. Not every wheelchair user is completely paralysed Edit: Just came back to clear up some things. My comment wasn’t to insinuate that what he did was right, and that the people who were angry with him were being unreasonable, I’m just saying that IN GENERAL, when we see someone in a wheelchair stand up and walk, we shouldn’t immediately jump to assuming that they were faking being disabled. Obviously, it’s important not to lie about your disability just to get money or benefit yourself or what not, because it just leads people to being skeptical of every disabled person they come across. But it’s also not a bad idea to not jump to conclusions when you see wheelchair users abandon their wheelchairs every now and then, (another example is people with visual impairments using a cane or another mobility aid on this day, and going out without one the next). People shouldn’t be dishonest in how they present themselves (especially if they have an audience or a large following) but, people should also be mindful and avoid making assumptions too quickly. This was just a friendly reminder that not everyone with a disability needs an aid at all times, everyone is different and everything is situational. Sorry about the long edit, I’m not good at putting thoughts into words

I feel that yes, Zillian was at one point wheelchair bound and at first it was genuine, but after his legs recovered, he kept up the façade that he was still wheelchair bound since he kept getting so much attention/free money from it. It wasn't originally malicious, but _became_ malicious afterwards, and he paid the price for his screw up. And I can assume Hypn0tical really had it out for Zillian probably due to some fall out the two had, considering he went after Zillian for his secondary Twitch account...despite the fact that he was no longer doing shady shit and moving on. I believe in second chances for people like Zillian, and while I very much think he was dumb for scamming people and the like, he should still be allowed to continue on streaming. He already is punished enough too with people never letting the scamming situation go to, so it's a win-win for both parties I suppose.

As someone whose actually disabled, I'd never wish the sh*t I've been through on anyone but then I remember these type of people exist.

He could’ve completely avoided this if he just said he wasn’t completely paralyzed. Really sucks how he went down :/

im disabled and can walk a certain distance but people like this is why i feel terrible for offering comissions to save up for an electric scooter/ wheelchair and disability bed

Never seen a man dig a hole for himself with his legs.

This is right up there with pretending you have cancer. Despicable!

I think he should have at least tried to explain himself after he was "caught". The way he reacted afterwards, trying to cover it up, lying about falling and removing comments calling him out, then not coming out with the truth until 7 years later, it was just a total mess.

It sucks so hard, cos viewers are going to end up doubting people who really need a wheelchair. (Especially people who are disabled but can get out of their wheelchair for a short while.)

Honestly your content is pretty entertaining and informational. Pretty good keep it up. (Food for thought maybe in the future if anything comes up on xan or other failed celebrities and media icons you have made videos on, you could do a where are they now sort of thing) anyways have a good day

OH MY GOD HE WALKED! WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE ANGRY WE WITNESSED A MIRACLE

im binge watching all your vids sunny, thank you for being a real one and bringing all this crazy stuff to light 🙏

Hell, if he'd included his journey as part of his channel, that in itself may well have brought more people in. Also would've been quite inspiring to show how you shouldn't give up and how things like physical therapy really are worth it

I am a part time wheelchair user. I have been accused of faking my illness when I go from walking to using wheels, or go from using wheels to standing. I have a disability I wish to God I could get rid of, but this is not the case. People like me are judged, ridiculed, and sometimes called frauds. People jump to snap judgements without knowing a full story. I now stay home as I just don’t want to deal with it anymore.

I have been with a few people who were wheelchair bound before, and what I found to be suspicious immediately was the fact that he was in a whellchair all the time. Most people who are stuck in wheelchairs want to be out of them as often as possible. The fact that he didn't have any other chair to replace his wheelchair is what was weird from the get go

I feel like he just wanted a wheel chair so he has an excuse not to have a gaming chair

It is so funny how he just stood up 🤣

I will never truly understand why he chose to keep secret the fact that he was getting better. Learning to walk again is an incredible accomplishment and should be celebrated. If he chose to keep it secret in order to keep the sympathy donations pouring in, then that honestly is a pretty scumbag move. But time heals all wounds as they say and so long as he's learned his lesson I don't mind him streaming again.

I remember this. The manner on how he stood up and walked afterwards sealed his fate. Like you'd have to wonder what's the point of using the wheelchair if you can get up and stroll like any average normal human. And yeah, still convinced he faked it even to this day.

I love how he just waltzed out of his chair. He forgot his whole reputation and just stood up out of nowhere.

What bothers me the most is how his loyal and lovingly supportive fans in the chat during the clip were genuinely concerned and worried when he said he fell out of his chair and couldn’t breathe. They were scared he badly injured himself during “the fall” by the frenzied “are you ok???” “You need some help!!” And “please call 911”. People who cared so much about you, your wellbeing and your success. You mistreated, manipulated and took advantage of your dedicated fans EMOTIONALLY which is worse than financially in my eyes. The same fans who dedicates hours and hours of their free time to watch your streams and cheered you on. You betrayed them and it was a slap in the face to your loyal supporters dude. THAT is the most disgusting aspect of this. You didn’t appreciate your fans.

The biggest shock is that Twitch actually did something about this guy.

I remember watching this clip on one of those GREATEST FAILS compilation videos.

I never have a disappoint when I'm watching SunnyV2

Finally a documentary where the person in it learned his lesson. Hope he has a good future in front of him

it just goes to show that not being open enough about your struggles like he was can backfire immensely. imagine how different things could have been if he were more open about his issues with his injury outright rather than wait for several years after he obliterated his reputation to reveal the full context of his injury. quite sad really

Totally disgusting. There’s people with actual disabilities that people treat like shit.

If he wasnt a scammer why didnt he admit he could walk somewhat instead of lying about falling over?? He was hoping to scam money FOREVER! HE IS VILE!!!!

Whoever kept hacking Zillian is hilarious. He doesn’t let him get away with anything 😂

He put the cam down, lied in the chat afterwards and to every1, he immediately deleted the subscribers comments that were calling him out, changed his appearance, didn't give updates.... and more. People saying he didn't lie, just didn't update that he was getting better... no, this is straight up fraud. It's one thing to not want to give updates, it's another when you go so far to lie and tell a fake story.

"Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy" will now be stuck in my head the remainder of the day!

Omg ur content is so addictive i love it

I always saw him a fraud but now I feel bad. I couldn’t have known until now. Thanks for educating us Sunny.

I've heard this story a thousand times but hearing it from a different person never gets boring. Well crafted video sir!

Yo sunny Please continue making these videos! Lysm.

I always wonder what it's like to witness these kind of events live, it's like watching history unfold before your eyes...

The fact that people think people can’t walk if they use a wheelchair or they aren’t disabled if they walk is beyond me. I have a fractured spine and when it flares up I CANT walk whatsoever. I’d need a wheelchair or walker to be able to get from point a to point b, but I’m not paralyzed so is it not okay? Yeah he definitely frauded many, but wheelchair users aren’t always bound to their wheelchair unlike the worldwide internet belief

I would just like to point out here that the majority of wheelchair users aren't paralysed. That means that most of us can stand or even walk a short distance. That doesn't mean we're faking. I, personally, can't even use a wheelchair right now because I can't afford the cost of one that would recline enough or the adaptions that would be necessary to the house I live in, so I'm bedbound. But before my health diminished to this point, I was one of the majority of wheelchair users who are able to stand and walk with help for a short distance, Ambulant chair users are still disabled, not faking or exaggerating. Ableism ftw.

I would have just said that I was starting to be able to walk again, here and there. I was waiting for a special episode to surprise everyone, but I guess the surprise is blown.

I think the worst part was the attempt at gaslighting the audience. We saw him stand up!

he didnt "mismanage" shit. When he was better he purposefully hid that. Thats why his girlfriend said OMG and he hid the camera. Because he WANTED to keep the lie going. He just lied

To be utterly fair not everyone in a wheelchair is parapalegic. Even extensive nerve damage someone is capable of walking short distances, but ultimately a wheelchair is just a mobility aid. Like someone with glasses isnt completely blind. Still if his story was that he was completely incapable of walking I would be side eying this pretty badly

Wow I really enjoyed this video kept me entertained the entire way through. 1:20 was a great part.

you should always update your fans when you're feeling better just so they don't start hating you and think you're trying to scam them

I can imagine at the time, especially since it was 2013, when he started getting better, he might have felt threatened that he himself was too linked as the wheelchair streamer brand and didn't know how to disconnect himself from it or show that he was going trough change and kinda just stayed with it

He diddnt "forget" to update people he actively avoided it. When he got put of the chair and walked around he immediately tried to hide it, he diddnt say yeah I have limited mobility he said he fell, he said he was still completely disabled.

The funny thing is this truly highlights a limit of understanding on the part of the audience. The way they immediately jumped on him so suddenly was really frightening. I've broken a leg before and had to be in a wheelchair for like a week or two while I went to physical therapy to not aggravate the injury, and I also have a friend who is also wheelchair bound but can walk for very short distances inside his apartment.

This my all time favorite sunny video 😻

The fact he turned his camera away when he stood up shows he knew what he was doing. Whether or not he was "originally" faking it or not, he continued to put on the act because he knew what it got him and he took advantage of it. I feel the fact that he *did* need it for a bit of time is moot. Point is he still lied to benefit himself. He don't feel bad about doing it, he feels bad he got caught.

Wow, I saw the ZilianOP saga unfold live, feels like a million years ago now

damn imagine how awesome it would have been if he revealed this info at the start like just randomly walk in stream and be like I got better proceeding to show all the evidence of him being in a wheelchair and explaining his disability and how he got better it would have been so hype

I get the whole being in a wheelchair while being able to walk. One of my classmates is in a wheelchair but can walk, although she has a hard time walking as her legs are pretty weak. She mostly uses her wheelchair but is definitely capable of walking.

As a 24 year old who legitimately broke his back at 21 and had a major spinal cord injury (T6-T7 complete) I went from a 21 year old machinist who forged his own path in life to a wheelchair bound. I cannot express how angry this makes me and disrespectful it is to the SCI community.

I love the fact that he just stands up

Lmao. I remember this going viral when it first happened. Absolutely mental how someone can do that.

I find it difficult to believe honestly. If he wasn't playing the role of someone badly disabled intentionally, there'd be no reason for the girlfriend to express shock and quickly try to cover for him.

I feel like people in the comments dont really get the point. Saying "people in wheelchairs can usually walk a bit so idk what your guys problem is" isnt an argument since he didnt portray himself in that way. He actively said and implied that he couldnt walk at all, when clearly after a while of recovery he absolutely could, and he did not update his audience at all. Being handicapped doesnt mean you can suddenly get away with more stuff then another person. Thats like a cancer patient still taking donation money for treatment months after their cancer has been succesfully cured.

Reminds me of my coworker, claims to be the best worker but takes 5+ bathroom breaks a day that last over 20 minutes each time, yells at citizens who don't have their health phi ready, and looks patients up on Facebook while talking to them. Arrives every day late, leaves early most days. I work at the state health department in Oklahoma. I've reported it to HR for over two years because we are the only two taking calls for the entire state health department immunization service and I'm the only one of the phones 90% of the time. I've worked here for three years and this person has also worked here for three years and they refuse to punish this person, I think because they identify as the opposite gender and have clear mental issues. Also the top manager, Paula Deyell, is this person's grandmother. That's probably why this person, Jane Bard, will never be fired for anything. Jane also has fake tourrettes. It makes random noises all day long specifically to annoy me then anytime anyone else comes into the immunizations office, Jane immediately stops making noises the entire time they are there then starts as soon as its only us in the room. When I first started working here, we all went out to a bar, the entire department with all the other offices and Jane didn't make a single noise the entire 5 hours we were there. I hate this person so so sooo much. Our manager Matt McLean is buddy buddy with Jane and Paula and I'm the odd one out, aka the conservative and they're democrats. They can't fire me and they refuse to fire Jane, so we're stuck together.

I remember this guy casually get up from his wheelchair and walk like damn freaking healthy person I was speechless seeing that

What’s crazy to me is that if he had truly been recovering during the time he was streaming, that would’ve drawn people in too. People love to have someone to root for. If he had just been open and honest he could’ve still had potential to be a big streamer.

I like how this guy straight up gets to the point, instead of plugging some crappy giveaway or sponsor for the first 15 minutes of the video, you earnt a sub man!

I think his gf's reaction speaks volumes. It was like oh shit we're caught. If he was just getting better, I don't think she would have reacted the way she did. She wouldn't have hardly noticed

Bro from Disable into Enable😮 He turn of Disable Feature

The issue is he didn't "accidentally" forget to mention it, as basic reasoning implies otherwise. Anyone who was/is in a situation where true physical disability happens understands the hell of ones body not working correctly. Taking 2 steps after being wheelchair bound for a year or longer would be so exciting and exhilarating u would be shouting from the rooftop about it. U would be so full of hope and determination u couldn't shut up, and would most likely take a step on camera w a 32 tooth smile. Imagine the money ppl would give for that. On top of the girl who was in on it realizing the ride was over, moving the camera, ending the stream, then claiming ur in such terrible pain from falling u can't breathe. Dude knew his success was out of pity and played it like a saxophone, good sax too. Ppl very rarely change and once a con artist realizes how easy it is, they don't stop. He's not sorry for forgetting to mention it, he's sorry he stood up and walked on camera bc he would still be rolling around in front of a camera.

Im hooked on this content like a drug, waiting for the next video to come out and completely shutting every one out till the videos are over, i love this content

The hacker: "They called me a madman.."

He so strong that he didnt even address this asap. Not until a few years comeback.

I had no idea that a lot of people in a wheel chair can actually walk a few steps until I watched "wheels2walking" channel addressing this matter. It can be a bit intimidating to walk in public or on stream since most people will jump to make fraud accusations

As someone with actual paralysis and a T2 spinal cord injury. I find it amazing that he regained total control after 2 years with a disability severe enough for him to be 100% dependent on a wheelchair. Neurotrauma is progressive and the longer that therapy takes the less chance of recovery there is. And after that there should be some residual effect in standing up. I do not believe he was ever 100% dependent on a wheelchair. He may have struggled HEAVILY to walk for a time and slowly worked his way into building the new neural pathways you need to recover, but I don’t believe the total disability story it is very rare that someone like that recovers so well or even at all. Would need to know more about the spinal injury though like how low it was and whether they had to do anything like a fusion or replacement though.

"Did some squats tonight" Omg love the trolling! 😆👌

I know it was probably just like out of panic because failing to update but I wish he wouldn't have said the "I fell" stuff and wouldn't just been honest as soon as it happened. I'm glad he's at least admitting to his mistakes and knows it was stupid

had he disclosed his progress, this whole thing would never have happened. poor bloke