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TikTok stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray face misdemeanor charges after being warned repeatedly to not host parties at their Hollywood Hills home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hall, 21, and Gray, 19, were charged with violating the city's "Safer LA" emergency order during the pandemic, as well as its party house ordinance forbidding "loud and unruly gatherings," according to the complaint filed by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer on Friday.
Feuer called the parties "potential super spreader events," and said the charges were part of a crackdown on similar gatherings in the city.
"If you have a combined 19 million followers on TikTok during this health crisis, you should be modeling good behavior — not brazenly violating the law and posting videos about it, as we allege," Feuer said in a statement.
The two TikTok stars face charges of up to one year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.
Representatives for Hall and Gray did not immediately return requests for comment.
LAPD officers responded to a call about a party at Hall and Gray’s house on Saturday, Aug. 8, and issued a citation, according to the complaint.
Officers came back on Aug. 14 following a report of gunshots, and found “several hundred guests celebrating Mr. Hall’s 21st birthday,” the complaint states.
A video appearing to show the so-called Sway House packed with people who weren't wearing masks went viral on Twitter.
Bryce Hall and Sway House throw massive party in Hollywood Hills with over a hundred people. The Sway boys recently moved from Bel Air to a secluded house in the Hollywood Hills. Party was broken by LAPD around 4am. This is a long thread. What are your thoughts @MayorOfLA?
Gray acknowledged the prior citation, received a new one, and officers stayed until guests left. There was no evidence of a gun being fired, the city attorney's office said.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti responded to the parties earlier this month by authorizing the city to shut off power to the home on Aug. 19 to dissuade any more large gatherings from taking place.
"With hundreds of people attending, loud music all night long and cars blocking access for emergency vehicles, party houses are really out of control nightclubs, and they’ve hijacked the quality of life of neighbors nearby," Feuer added in his statement. "As if that weren’t enough, the hosts are incredibly irresponsible, with COVID-19 spreading and parties banned because of it. We’ve got to put a stop to it."
Hall and Gray are both immensely popular on TikTok, with 13.2 million and 5.9 million followers, respectively.