Fish Stomping Incident

Perhaps the earliest and most infamous incident, Josh was filmed stomping on a live fish until it died as a result, while he laughed gleefully. This footage, posted around June 2, 2021, quickly gained attention online. In the video, Josh appeared to show little concern for the fish, smiling and seemingly enjoying the act. This is possibly the earliest example of Josh’s disregard for life and animal cruelty.

Response from Fans

The incident became widely criticized, and Josh later responded with several apologies. In a livestream, he claimed he had been told the fish was already dead and that he had been "set up" by the person recording him, using this as an excuse to deflect blame and avoid being "canceled." He also asked viewers to forget about the incident, stating he couldn't be canceled because he had a "monopoly" on NYC roaming videos. However, it was revealed that the fish was alive when Josh purchased it and he had stomped it to death, even saying, "I want to smash its brains out." In a TikTok comment, Josh later claimed he was "dared to do it." The controversy surrounding the incident escalated when the hotel he was staying at was allegedly swatted after someone falsely reported a bomb threat during his livestream. This incident led to Josh being kicked out of the hotel, though the manager later apologized and provided compensation.