The Untold Truth Of The Dolan Twins

The Dolan twins are pretty well known, at least if you're familiar with the vast world of YouTube stars. Ethan and Grayson Dolan have been a successful comedy act on YouTube a long time, basically since they began making videos on the platform, around 2013. With over 9 million subscribers, their fan base is going strong and will likely stay that way. 

The Dolan twins are known for their hilarious videos and their ability to be totally honest and genuine with their fans. This has gained them a lot of recognition in the YouTube world, leading them to be sign with AwesomenessTV in 2015. They even won the 2016 Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Male and Choice YouTuber, which is no small feat. But while you may know all of these things about Ethan and Grayson, there's still a lot you don't know about them as well. Let's take a look at some interesting facts about their lives.

In January of 2019, the Dolan twins went through something incredibly difficult: their father, Sean Dolan, passed away at 50 years old after a long battle with cancer. The twins had announced their father had cancer in a video on YouTube in 2016. They were obviously devastated by their loss and both wrote long and emotional tributes to their father on Instagram. 

Unfortunately, the twins also had to use social media to ask their fans not to use their father's funeral as a meet-up. In a tweet, Ethan wrote, "The best way you could support us during this tough time is to NOT show up at our father's wake or funeral." Grayson tweeted something similar, saying, "We want this ceremony to be an opportunity for the people who had a close connection with my Dad to say goodbye and pay their respects." Fortunately, the two have seemed okay since their father's death and started making videos for their YouTube channel again. 

After years of consistently creating original content for the internet, the Dolan twins finally decided that they needed a break in March of 2018. They announced their temporary hiatus from the site in a video titled "Bye For Now," where they talked about the reasons they were choosing to step out of the spotlight for a bit. Grayson explained that when they first started YouTube, they were just doing it for fun. They both agreed that, at some point, as they became more successful, YouTube became more of a job that they had to do rather than something they did for enjoyment. Grayson said, "Creating videos has felt like more of a task than a passion to us." 

Ethan added, "I'm kind of lost about what I'm passionate about and I kind of need to figure it out." They both felt like they were making videos that they weren't that into and weren't that proud of, and felt that a break would help them do that again. They returned with a "We're Back!" video in May 2018.

Like a lot of other famous YouTubers, Ethan and Grayson Dolan got their start on Vine, the six-second video platform owned by Twitter that went down in 2016. The Dolan twins were big on Vine before they made the transition to YouTube, but they started a lot earlier than that. In an interview with Extra TV, they revealed that they started making videos for fun when they were in first grade. Their older sister encouraged them to start on social media, and they fell in love with Vine, saying they were "following the footsteps of the people we looked up to." 

In an interview with Glamoholic, they explained why they decided to make the change during the summer of 2013, saying, "We realized that others were finding interest in the content we were uploading to the platform. We stayed consistent with our uploads and eventually we started to gain followers and build an amazing fan base." It clearly worked out for them! 

If you pay any attention to the Dolan twins, then you know they have a lot of tattoos. In two separate videos on YouTube, one called "What Our Tattoos Mean" and "What Our Tattoos Mean 2," they explained exactly what each of their tattoos meant. They both have a tattoo of the constellation of Sagittarius, which is their zodiac sign, and their father had a matching one as well. That's not their only matching set: they also both have the words "famiglia per sempre" inked on them, an Italian phrase that means "family forever." It's dedicated to their friends in their hometown in New Jersey. 

Aside from the matching tattoos, the twins each have plenty of their own original ones. Grayson has a tattoo of the word "matters" with a line drawn through it on his calf, which was his first tattoo and is, he says, a reminder for him not to focus on insignificant worries. Ethan says his "most meaningful tattoo" is his "Can't Fold" tattoo, which is about him getting through difficult situations.

The Dolan twins are at a level of fame that means they are definitely no strangers to YouTube drama — and they've had their fair share of that with fellow YouTube star Jake Paul. In Paul's memoir, You Gotta Want It (via Seventeen), he claims that he was the one who helped the Dolan twins rise to fame when he invited them to Los Angeles to film Vine videos with him during a break from school. He also implied that he offered them a spot on Team 10, but they turned him down because they had moved on. Basically, he was insinuating that the twins used him for fame, then ditched him.

The twins denied all of it, saying, "Jake never tried to sign us." They explained that while they did stay with him and make content together, Paul was just a friend and they were never presented with any contracts. They added, "There are some things that I've seen that I don't agree with. He's said some things privately to people that I know about us that I just don't know why he said it."

It might seem like Ethan and Grayson Dolan live a really charmed life: They make a lot of money off of making funny videos on YouTube, they're famous, and they enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. But they have their fair share of downs as well. In a 2017 titled "It's Time To Be Honest," the Dolan twins talked about their struggles with anxiety. Ethan revealed that he had gone through a tough time when he got really frustrated and punched a glass window. A large piece of glass ended up getting stuck in his hand, and he had to have immediate surgery. Ethan said it made him realize that it's okay to be sad and to be honest about your feelings. 

It wasn't the first time they opened up about anxiety. In 2016, they posted a video called "You're Not Alone." In that video, Grayson got honest about his own struggles with anxiety, saying he felt an immense pressure to be perfect all the time, for YouTube and for his fans. 

In the summer of 2018, one of the Dolan twins revealed some pretty terrifying news: He had gotten in a really bad motorcycle accident and was hurt. Ethan Dolan tweeted, "I got into a pretty f***ed motorcycle accident... I'm completely fine. Somehow. I realize no matter your ability, anything can happen." In another tweet, he said, "Not riding again, don't worry lol I'm very much over it," and said he was happy to be alive. The accident and his injuries were clearly serious enough to scare him that badly. 

Although Ethan never really went into details about the accident, Grayson Dolan tweeted out a photo of the two of them in the hospital. In the picture, Ethan is in a hospital bed hooked up to IVs with what looks like blood on his hand. Grayson wrote, "On the real god was with us today. Don't know what I would've done if something serious happened. Love you E." Luckily, he seems to be doing okay.

It should come as no surprise that Ethan and Grayson Dolan have a ton of fans who want to do way more than just watch their videos on YouTube. With over 9 million subscribers at the time of writing, the Dolan twins definitely have their fair share of fans who are head over heels in lust for them. Many have wondered if they would ever date a fan — and the guys answered that question during an episode of MTV's TRL. 

When asked if they would ever date a fan, Grayson responded, "I don't think you can ever control who you fall in love with, so it's a possibility." Ethan added, "I would. I would want my girlfriend to be a fan of me because I would be a fan of whatever she was doing." So, if you're a big fan waiting to meet one of these two, you just might have a chance at dating them in real life! 

Aside from making their own videos, Grayson and Ethan Dolan are part of a YouTuber foursome called the Sister Squad with fellow YouTubers James Charles and Emma Chamberlain. The close friendship between the four of them has caused fans to wonder if something more romantic is going on behind the scenes, and there have been plenty of rumors about Grayson and Charles dating. After months of social media debate, the Dolan twins addressed it in a video called "Lie Detector Q and A."

In the video, Grayson takes a lie detector test, and, after a while, Ethan jokingly asks Grayson if he would marry Charles. Grayson said no, but the professional overseeing the test said he was "having a problem with that one." At that point, Ethan said, "Alright, we don't need to make that rumor any bigger. Should we just say that Grayson and James are obviously not f***ing dating? Should we just say it?" Grayson added, "Right? It's pretty apparent." Charles has also tweeted about the rumors, calling them "toxic" and "frustrating."

Grayson Dolan and James Charles aren't the only ones who have had to deal with rumors that they're dating — the other Dolan twin and Emma Chamberlain, have gone through the same rumors. The two are close friends who spend a lot of time together, and fans are pretty convinced that something more romantic is going on. Ethan seemed like he confirmed these rumors once on Twitter. He responded to a tweet making fun of Emma for having "crusty lips" by saying, "Her lips deffffinitely aren't crusty." After fans took that to mean that they've kissed before, he added, "What? She's always putting chapstick on everyone knows that?!?"

Chamberlain herself denied the rumors, telling Access Hollywood that she has a lot of guy friends and she is constantly hearing rumors that she's dating them. She said, "I think it's fun, because I'm not dating any of them. I'm very single." She added that it doesn't affect her friendships.  

In 2017, the Dolan twins attempted to plan a London meet and greet that ended up pretty badly. Teen Vogue reported that the two decided to set up a quick meetup with fans before the MTV European Music Awards. They tweeted that fans could meet them in Hyde Park at 12:30 p.m., and word quickly spread. That day, tons of fans showed up early... only to realize that it was Remembrance Sunday, a day dedicated to honoring lives lost in combat. One of those events for Remembrance Sunday was happening around the same time as the meetup, and many felt it was inappropriate on the twins' part. 

When the Dolans realized what was going on, they apologized on Twitter, saying they had no idea about Remembrance Sunday, and decided to cancel the meetup at the last minute. Many fans were already there, though, and as Teen Vogue reported, chaos and hysterics ensued. It was definitely a situation that could have been handled better with the proper planning. 

That wasn't the only time a Dolan twins event caused a lot of chaos and confusion. In 2016, nearly 30 people were injured during one of their public appearances. The Asbury Park Press reported that the twins made an appearance at the iPlay America Event Center, an indoor theme park, and caused a little too much excitement when they came out. When they appeared on stage, the crowd, which was mostly teenage girls, rushed forward so swiftly that 28 people suffered minor injuries. 

Township police Officer Daniel Rehberg told the APP that some of the girls hyperventilated, some suffered ankle injuries and bloody noses, and seven girls were hospitalized. One video on Twitter showed fans screaming like crazy and jumping all over the place when the twins were on stage, especially when one takes his shirt off. One fan who was there tweeted, "It was chaos. Everyone was getting hurt and crying including myself. I hope people in hospital get better soon." 

Have you ever wondered how Ethan and Grayson Dolan split up their YouTuber duties? It's not just about making funny videos — there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work as well! In an interview with Refinery29, Ethan joked, "Grayson doesn't really know how to work cameras." Grayson added, "I do the technical part of editing that Ethan never learned."

All jokes aside, the Dolan twins know that they have to work as a team in order to really get anything done. In an interview with Glamoholic, they explained their process, saying, "Once we decide on an idea, and both approve of the idea, we then publish the video for viewers to enjoy it. We will only upload a video if we are BOTH in love with what we created." They also said that they work together to come up with ideas for their videos, but that they mostly hit them at random times. 

The Dolan twins might have almost 10 million YouTube subscribers and fans who are willing to risk getting hospitalized just to be close to them, but they weren't always beloved and adored. In a YouTube video titled "Time For A Change... (Our Story)," they explained that they had been bullied as kids. Ethan said, "We've always been the types to be different, not like be in the same box as everybody else, we like to step outside the box." Grayson added that, in preschool, they got a reputation for being "bad kids."

They added that they were "hated" throughout the preschool, and they were the only kids excluded from events like birthday parties. As the years went by, the twins said that the parents of their classmates didn't like them, and wouldn't let their kids hang out with them. They never felt like they were invited to anything, and it brought them down. They explained that the bullying was one reason they moved to Los Angeles. 

Social media has obviously changed Ethan and Grayson Dolan's lives. They went from being bullied kids in New Jersey to famous YouTubers living in L.A., making a lot of money, winning awards, and working with MTV. But it also changed their personalities as well. In an interview with Glamoholic, the Dolan twins explained that social media had affected them in a huge way, saying they felt it really helped their social skills and made them more outgoing. They explained that they've made some of their best friends through the apps they use. 

They added, "Social media has also helped us to become better and more confident public speakers. Even though we're only looking at a camera when we film, our YouTube videos are still going out to millions of individuals. This made filming very nerve-racking at first, but after we built our confidence with public speaking, it became more and more fun." That definitely makes sense!