The Untold Truth Of Hannah Stocking

Hannah Stocking is one of YouTube's most successful personalities, producing videos that blend her science background with her flair for comedy and a love of fashion and beauty.

Her journey to stardom began by accident. According to a profile in Galore, Stocking was working out in a gym when she caught the attention of King Bach, Liane V, and Destorm, popular for their videos on the now-defunct Vine platform. Thinking she'd be great in a video, they asked her to come up with ideas. "So I was like, 'Oh my gosh, OK, why not, you know? I have nothing else to do,'" she told Galore. "Fast forward to the next day I come up with this idea: Girls checking out guys vs. guys checking out girls. That went super viral. That alone upped my following by 100,000 people. It really just blew up out of nowhere." Successfully transitioning from Vine to YouTube, her channel now boasts over 7.2 million subscribers.

Despite her millions of fans, there are still things that even Stocking's most hardcore devotees may not know. Read on to discover the untold truth of this YouTube superstar.

Hannah Stocking holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and another in biological sciences, and she remains convinced her educational background in science is at least partially responsible for her success on YouTube.

"I think committing to a double major actually has helped me as a creator," she explained in an interview with InLove magazine. "I'm comfortable editing and filming for a lot of hours because, as a student, I used to spend all night in the library studying. When I started school, I didn't see being a creator as a possible career path, but I'm fortunate to have a platform where I can blend science into my comedy."

That led her to partner with video producer ATTN to produce a series of science-based videos, including one about the effects crash dieting can have on the brain. "We are excited to partner with Hannah Stocking and Shots Studios on this five-part series that is both funny and informative," said ATTN supervising producer Jenny Churchill in a statement.

In October 2016, rock band Blink-182 recreated the video for their track "What's My Age Again," for which the band members ran naked through the streets, in a video for their song "She's Out of Her Mind." The video, however, featured Hannah Stocking and fellow YouTubers Lele Pons and Vale Genta as the nude runners, subbing in for members of the band. 

"I just had an idea that we weren't in the video. I was like, 'Man, it would be cool if there were just hot chicks being us, playing our parts," explained Blink-182 in an interview with iHeartRadio. "And then someone had an idea, I think it was one of our [managers], to take it a step further, and we got Lele Pons and those girls to do it." The group added, "And then it even got a step further, and it was like wow, why don't we imitate the 'What's My Age Again' video with these girls. So we just kept building. It was a collaboration of a bunch of ideas."

In 2018, Hannah Stocking was tapped to create the lyric video for "Hard 2 Face Reality." Not only did she write and direct the video for the collaboration with rapper Poo Bear, Justin Bieber, and Jay Electronica, but she also starred in it.

Asked by InLove magazine to determine which of her many videos are her favorites, she was quick to single out that one. "I also love the Poo Bear featuring Justin Bieber 'Hard 2 Face Reality' lyric video," she told the magazine. "I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to make something so different from my other videos."

As Stocking explained, projects such as the Poo Bear lyric video are part of her personal development as a content creator, but also represent the evolution of content itself. "I think content is constantly evolving, especially as technology evolves, too," she said, adding, "It's hard to predict what will happen, but I think it's good that talented people wouldn't have had a platform 10 years ago can now share their work with others all over the world."

In October 2017, Hannah Stocking made her movie debut in one of Tyler Perry's Madea movies, Tyler Perry's Boo 2! A Madea Movie. Stocking played a partygoer named Anna, acting alongside fellow YouTuber Inanna Sarkis in the Halloween-themed comedy. 

"I think it's great to see major studios look to internet creators for roles in their films. It was a new experience for people like me and Inanna, and it was so much fun to be a part of," Stocking told TubeFilter of her first film role in an interview.

In an interview at the movie's red carpet premiere, Stocking described the experience of working on the film as "absolutely surreal," revealing that Perry contacted her after seeing her work on YouTube. "I actually never auditioned for this role," Stocking explained. "Tyler Perry wrote in the part for me the day before they started shooting because he saw one of my YouTube videos. And since then, it's literally just been a dream come true. I can't believe that I'm here."

In March 2019, Hannah Stocking shared her turn-ons and turn-offs in a video for Tinder, weighing in on the dating app's "Liked or Noped" video series. "I love tattoos," she shared of one of her likes. "I think they're sexy and fun, and I actually just got tattoos on the bottom of my feet. They say, 'Hi how are you' and the other foot says, 'I'm good thanks.' Communication is key."

She also revealed she loves rom-coms, diamonds, ranch dressing, selfies, strapless bras, and waterproof mascara. She called waterproof mascara "a huge necessity for me" because she likes viewing "proposal videos," noting, "Huge waterworks for me." Stocking also admitted she loves gossip, "as long as it's the fun kind," but said she avoids anything "negative or mean."

Beards, however, are one of her "nopes" (although she is a fan of "sexy stubble"), as are photos taken with exotic animals, Oreo cookies, to-do lists, and, sandwiches that are cut diagonally, something about which she has surprisingly strong feelings. "I don't know what kind of psychopath cuts their sandwiches diagonally," she exclaimed, adding, "Nope!"

Given the millions of fans who watch her videos, it would be easy to assume Hannah Stocking measures success by how many views her videos receive. And while there's some truth to that (she keeps close tabs on viewership numbers and subscriber gains), that's not the only factor involved. 

Speaking with Women's Wear Daily, Stocking explained that she actually has another key criteria for how she determines whether or not she considers a video to be successful. "I measure my success online mainly when people tell me they haven't laughed that hard in a while or if my shows help them get through a bad day or a certain bad time in their life," she told the publication. 

Due to the vast number of eyeballs she attracts to her videos, she told WWD that she thinks fashion brands should be paying more attention to YouTubers like her because of the massive reach they can offer them. "It could actually be really beneficial to the fashion industry and help them target a different demographic as well," she pointed out.

Hannah Stocking might be a superstar to her YouTube subscribers, but she became starstruck herself when meeting one of her idols. 

This was the case when she met actress Jennifer Aniston, sharing the encounter via Instagram in a video in which the Friends star gives her a consoling hug when Stocking breaks into tears. "I don't even know where to begin. Ever since I was a kid, I would always get grounded and I wasn't allowed to do anything except watch DVDs. The only DVDs I had were Friends and Ace Ventura Pet Detective. After watching Friends religiously, I grew so fond of Jennifer Aniston and how effortlessly brilliant she is. She's also Greek! It's safe to say she's incredibly inspiring to me," Stocking wrote.

Noting that she thought she'd have "everything under control" after being invited to Variety's Power of Women event, Stocking revealed, "BUT WHEN I ACTUALLY MET JENNIFER ANISTON FACE TO FACE I couldn't stop crying." She also directed her followers to "the iconic moment of when Jennifer Aniston grabbed a napkin to wipe away my tears."

Netflix anthology series Black Mirror tells provocative dystopian tales of technology run amok. In advance of the series' season in spring 2019, a trio of "mini-stories" aimed at viewers in Latin America was created, featuring an assortment of YouTube personalities. As Variety reported, Hannah Stocking was among them. 

"I can't wait for you guys to see a different and more serious side of me... COMING SOON," wrote Stocking on Facebook, where she shared a sneak peek of her episode in the series, which was ultimately branded as Stories From Our Future.

Director Rudy Mancuso posted the finished product on YouTube, titled Cure for Loneliness. Stocking stars alongside Anwar Jibawi, Delaney Glazer, Juanpa Zurita, and Lele Pons. "As a Black Mirror fan, it was a dream come true to produce this homage to celebrate the show," Mancuso told Variety. "We approached this project with so much excitement and hope that fellow fans will enjoy watching it as much as we loved making it."

Hannah Stocking's YouTube videos are viewed by millions, but they don't take all that long to make. As Stocking told Women's Wear Daily, a typical video takes three days to conceive, film, and then edit.

"I try to incorporate [the topic] in very relatable concepts, whether it's a school or a doctor or relationship style. I try to integrate it throughout the video so it's not information after information, like a lecture almost — it'll never be that. But I still make it into a skit and have friends involved and we're all having so much fun," she said. "I also try not to use big words. I try to explain it in the most easy way possible."

She told InLove magazine, "Most of my ideas come from my everyday life," explaining, "I find inspiration in my experiences, and then I exaggerate them for my videos. I like using my creative freedom to share current trending topics that are relevant to all of us in a funny and relatable way."

Hannah Stocking and fellow YouTube personality Lele Pons often work together on videos, and, in addition to being collaborators, they're also best friends. "Lele is like a sister to me. I love her so much. We love collaborating and seeing each other grow; we uplift each other and push each other closer to our goals," Stocking told InLove magazine. "I think that we both understand the impact we can have with our platforms, especially on young women, so we do our best — as strong, hardworking women — to support each other."

According to Stocking, both she and Pons share a similar work ethic. "We are both very driven and work-oriented people," she explained. "We're constantly bouncing ideas off each other and coming up with new creative projects." Stocking noted that it can be difficult to know which friendships are true in the entertainment business, but she and Pons have been close "since the beginning." She added, "We've seen each other grow and to see each other reach new milestones each year is inspiring."

Hannah Stocking has made no secret of her appreciation of fashion, and she revealed in an interview with InLove magazine what it is about fashion that she loves the most. "I've always loved the versatility of fashion. There are times when I want to go big and wear a pretty dress and do something fun with my hair and makeup. Then there are times where I just want to wear jeans and a t-shirt," she shared. "YouTube has given me the opportunity to create characters and stories that allow me to wear a bunch of different outfits and express myself through fashion." However, she stated, "At the end of the day, regardless of what I'm wearing, my number one priority is always comfort!"

Stocking continued, "As a creator, I love anything that lets me express myself." She went on to share that she views fashion as a way to showcase her personality. She noted, "I've had fun creating my own line. I didn't want to put something out that I didn't believe in or connect with, so I worked hard on pinpointing the message I wanted to share."

Hannah Stocking's journey from academia to Vine to YouTube stardom is certainly not a typical career path, but she has nonetheless picked up a lot of knowledge about creating successful videos that will attract an audience.

Speaking with Galore, Stocking shared her advice for anyone looking to follow in her footsteps as an online content creator. "The most important thing is to always be yourself and not care about what people think or say about you. Don't worry about what people you don't even know think about you, only focus on what your loved ones think about you. Always be respectful and nice to others, and kind. And always tell your parents you love them," she said.

To InLove magazine, she said she hopes for her videos to be "entertaining and educational," and she loves hearing when viewers learn new information from her work.

Before finding success as a content creator, Hannah Stocking was following a very different career path. "Before Vine, I was double majoring in Biology and Chemistry," she told Galore. "I was conducting embryonic stem cell research and differentiating them into neurotransmitters, looking at their different gene expression levels. So I was a huge nerd, and I'm actually still trying to do that in my future."

When she first began creating content, she admitted that she "actually received a lot of hate." She explained, "I noticed that it's a lot easier for guys to become content creators and to be funny, people kind of latch on to them. But when a girl tries to be funny it's looked down upon like 'what is she even doing... that's not funny.'"

However, those days are long gone. "I had a breakthrough and before I knew it, everybody really started loving my content," she added, noting that she doesn't have too much "hate" thrown her way these days. "I think it's like, you have to endure the struggle and then you reach a breakthrough. It's almost like a respect level."

When it comes to her romantic relationships, Hannah Stocking appears to have a type — and that type plays basketball in the NBA.

In fact, Stocking has reportedly dated not one but two NBA stars. Back in 2014, Stocking was reported to be dating Kyrie Irving, who was formerly with the Cleveland Cavaliers (via Heavy). He once posted a since-deleted photo of himself with Stocking on Instagram.

After that relationship ended, Stocking reportedly began dating Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. According to the New York Post, Thompson and Stocking dated "for the better part of a year" until something happened between the two that caused the relationship to crash and burn in spectacularly scandalous fashion. While Stocking hasn't commented on what happened publicly (other than a few particularly scathing tweets), a video she filmed titled "Dating a Pathological Liar" may offer a few clues as to what took place.

In October 2015, Hannah Stocking alleged she had busted then-boyfriend Klay Thompson cheating on her. In a series of tweets (which she later deleted, but can be seen courtesy of the Daily Mail), she publicly called him out.

"When you catch ur man naked in bed with a groupie ... lol @KlayThompson," she tweeted to accompany a photo of Thompson with a surprised expression on his face. She followed that up with another tweet, explaining why she'd tagged him with his Twitter handle. "I told him I'd @ him if he kept harassing me," she continued, adding in a third tweet, "So I guess he really wanted that tag to get his number up."

She also issued a few tweets that didn't tag Thompson, but can certainly be interpreted as referencing him. "How is 'I want you to be my baby mama' the new way to compliment a woman?" she asked in one, adding in another, "And when these men tell u that they want u to be their baby mama they act like they just dropped a bomb Shakespeare love soliloquy."