KEY POINTS

  • Last month, Krol was accused of "grooming" and sending explicit messages to the alleged victim
  • Krol then tweeted that he had attempted suicide 
  • On Friday, Krol said the alleged victim posted fake screenshots

TikTok star Benji Krol addressed allegations of child grooming in a video statement Friday night.

In a YouTube video, Krol said that he was making the video statement in order to "clear things up." He also said that he was making this video "not for sympathy but to put an honest end to things." He thanked those who stood by this in this difficult time and apologized for disappointing the others.

Krol went on to say that the alleged 15-year-old victim posted fake screenshots and the accusations of grooming are "untrue." He said the victim lied about his age and said he was 16 years old, which is the minimum age of consent in Spain where they live. Krol went on to show screenshots of their conversations to debunk the allegations made by the alleged victim.

Krol also addressed his relationship with ex-boyfriend, Jorge Garay, and said that they were no longer together.

Last month, Krol and Garay were accused of "grooming" the alleged victim and sending the teen explicit messages. The teen said that the two "took advantage" of his friendship and "exploited and coerced" him.

Following this, Krol had tweeted he was late in addressing the allegations because he had attempted suicide.

"The reason it’s taken so long is because I tried to kill myself. I was in the hospital and I’ve been recovering and trying to piece everything together. I’m not trying to gain sympathy points from telling you this, I’m just giving the real explanation you all deserve for being late to respond," he tweeted.

Krol had apologized to the victim and also said that he and Garay had broken up because of the allegations.

"I still take full responsibility for my own actions. I don't even know the full story because Jorge knows everything else, but I have no way of finding the rest out. I wake up in the hospital alone and now knowing where he was. I currently only know he left me and I assume he went back to his own home which is hours away. He was only briefly spoken to me and has no intention of seeing me anytime soon," he said.

"I’m extremely sorry to the victim and hope they are doing okay. I know none of this should have ever happened and that there’s nothing I can do to fix it but work on bettering myself and piecing everything together. And I hope everyone can respect their privacy," he added.

Benji Krol
In this screengrab, Benji Krol is seen during It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience on June 25, 2020. It Gets Better Project/Getty Images via Getty Images

"If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day."

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