Likee Meltdown
 | The subject of or contents of "Likee Meltdown" are potentially offensive and/or controversial. Viewer discretion is advised. |
| “ | What happened to my support, what happened to my team!? What happened to everybody!? | ” |
The Likee Meltdown, also known as Rest in Peace Dave and Grace VanderWaal, was Daniel's first online meltdown and one of the earliest known incidents in the Daniel Larson story, occurring from June 24-26, 2021, with the meltdown occurring on the 25th. Unlike subsequent meltdowns, this one was not in a single video. Instead, it is a series of clips posted on Likee, a video-posting platform Daniel used due to not having access to his phone, along with a YouTube video titled Rest in peace dave and grace vanderwaal.
On June 24, 2021, Daniel uploaded a video calmly explaining that, due to his phone breaking, he was using a laptop to upload videos to Likee in an effort to reach out to his current Management, and most notably, the "VanderWaal Team", before eventually spiraling into a mental breakdown. This was due to him being convinced by trolls that Grace VanderWaal, his longtime crush, had died and that the VanderWaal Team was withholding information from him. However, things took a sharp turn as Daniel began having a meltdown the next day, frantically demanding to be "let back on the team", while threatening his own life and hitting his head. Daniel soon starts blaming an unidentified individual known only as “JP”, and a caretaker,[1] for "all of this". The day after this, he uploaded a video saying that the police were on their way.
Adding to the weirdness, it is unclear what happened before or after the incident concluded. In addition to the confusion, JP's response video to the Likee Meltdown (at least according to comments on reddit) was subsequently lost.[2]
Video
Transcript
[Daniel is seen wearing a blue shirt, June 24, 2021]
Daniel: Hello, this is Daniel Larson. My phone ended up breaking last night when everything was going on. I was tossing the phone in the air and it ended up, um, the screen ended up going blank and it showed static. So please, if you get this message, know that I'm currently trying. You can contact me through here. Unfortunately, I will have to give video updates.
Daniel: This message goes out to the VanderWaal family. Please pray for the VanderWaal family. They're currently in critical condition.
Daniel: This message goes out to the VanderWaal team. I am currently trying everything I could possibly try. Even though my phone broke, I have still gotten out the message. I will give more updates as I go, but unfortunately, I'm without a phone right now. And so I'm currently doing everything by laptop, but fortunately it will not let me message as of right now, so I can only do videos. But please stay tuned. I will try to give updates and I'll try to get everything situated.
Daniel: Hello, this is Daniel Larson. This is a state of emergency order to the VanderWaal team. Please make another video and post it on all social *burp* media platforms and say, please pray for the VanderWaal family. Please pray, pray for the VanderWaal family. They're in critical condition and leave it there. I want pictures of the entire family. Please post now.
Daniel: Hello, this is Daniel Larson. Please let me know if there's anything I could do to help. Please ask the VanderWaal team what I need to do to help and also to rank up in the company.
Daniel: Hello to Daniel Larson team and my record label. There's currently a situation. Google and YouTube are not letting me use them. I don't know what's going on. I thought we had an agreement. But unfortunately, I lost all access to making new Google accounts. I currently am stuck. I have no way of contacting you.
Daniel: Likee is not letting me post.
Daniel: Hey Josh and Jay, please contact JP now. We have an emergency.
Daniel: Please message me Josh. Please send Jay and Bob the contract for Party House. They need to see it. They need proof for the investigation.
Daniel: The police are about to be called into the situation. We still are getting zero responses.
[The lighting in the room has changed, Daniel switches to YouTube. Lead up to the meltdown]
Daniel: Grace is going to want this video- thing that I've done. I admit to sexting minors, and... sexting Grace, and sending Grace a dick pic. I'm sorry for putting Grace through so much stress... that she takes her own life and has a heart attack.
[Sigh] Her words to me was- her last words to me was: "Daniel, I look up to you. But you make wrong choices. I know you could do pletter- better. I know you could do better. Please do better for me. I want you to carry off your legacy for me- My legacy for me. I don't know if I'm going to make it through the night." And my response to her was yes. I would carry on her legacy. And that's what I'm currently doing. Grace, rest in peace.
I don't know if you're getting this message. But if you got this message, you have any- you can always be welcome to come to my house. I don't know if- in heaven you can see everything. I don't know, but you're always welcome to be here. And I'm sorry for everything that has happened. Maybe one day, when I die, we can finally meet and I can apologize. But right now, I'm worried about clearing this up and fixing what I've done. That's why I'm making a YouTube video right now. But I will tell you, I'm not going to sit here and do thousands of YouTube videos like I've been doing right now, I'm just doing this one video to try to clear things up. I'm just trying to get the word out. I'm sorry, Grace. You should have never dealt with this. You should have never gone through this. You should have never had a heart attack. I'm so sorry. But I promise, I will do what you said, and I will carry this on, and I will carry your legacy. And I'll put my music and everything moving forward under you, because you're a hero.
You saved my life. And that's what I'm going to do. You chose to take yourself off life support. You fought for me. And I will not give up. The entire VanderWaal family is wishing you to rest in peace. And I am currently getting used to everything. But I have your mother, Tina VanderWaal's, help. And now I have you from above looking down on me. And Dave, all in my heart. We will make it through this, no matter what. Rest in peace, Dave and Grace VanderWaal. The one and only, Dave and Grace VanderWaal.
[The next day, Daniel is now wearing a green shirt. The lighting in the room now appears to be from daylight. Daniel switches back to Likee, he is visibly distressed. The meltdown begins]
Daniel: Guys, check out my YouTube now, and please comment. Check out my YouTube now, and please comment. If I get the response, I will take it all down. This is my only source right now. Do it now, or I [quieter] commit suicide.
Daniel: This is Daniel Larson. JP threatened to kill me to do all this. Please let me back on the team now, or I commit suicide.
Daniel: I can't take this! I can't take this! I can't take this!
Daniel: Josh, Dave, VanderWaal family. Please, and I hope you're seeing this right now, please. I can't take this much longer. I'm about to commit suicide.
Daniel: Emergency, emergency!
Daniel: Josh, Jay, VanderWaal family. Please look at my latest YouTube. Please look at my latest YouTube!
Daniel: I am fighting, but this is my only source of contact! And to know that right now, that you get it, please message me. Please message me now!
Daniel: If you guys start messaging me on YouTube so I know what the fuck is going on, and I know I'm being heard, then I will start taking the videos down. But until then, I want to make sure that they get heard by you guys.
Daniel: Guys, message me now on YouTube. Now. Now! I'm starting to get fucking angry! My... JP is currently in big trouble because he forced me to do this. He threatened to fucking murder me. If you guys let me join the team now, I will sit here and I will fight. I will make videos on Likee for the rest of the night to spread the message. But you have to... you have to bear with me. You guys are gonna have to fight. I'm fighting right now.
Daniel: Now, guys. It's an emergency. Now, guys.
Daniel: I will not take the videos down until I get on the team fully. I will not back down. This is my only source of contact right now, and by you guys commenting on my YouTube videos, that's the only way right now I know that you guys are hearing me.
Daniel: Josh, I will call you in a bit.
Daniel: I am trying everything I can. Please message me on YouTube. I need to know what's going on. It's my only source of communication. I'm trying to get the message across that it was all an accident. JP forced me. He threatened to kill me. I had to, otherwise he would have killed me.
Daniel: I don't know what else to say, guys. I'm telling the fucking truth. And you guys are not doing anything I ask. I don't know what to fucking believe anymore. I'm done. I'm gonna be homeless before we flippin' know it. I'm gonna be fucking homeless. And it's all thanks to fucking JP.
Daniel: The faster you guys respond, the faster we can take the videos down!
Daniel: [hyperventilating] I demand being on the VanderWaal team. I demand. I demand. I repent! I repent! I repent! I repent!
Daniel: Look at my last YouTube video, guys. Now! It's getting worse, and I'm about to have a panic attack!
Daniel: Guys, I don't know what's going on. No one is messaging me. I don't know what's being said. Can I at least get some flippin' updates so I can start taking some videos down?
Daniel: [sobbing] What happened to my support? What happened to my team? What happened to everybody!?
Daniel: Everyone on the entire team and everyone who is seeing this. Message Josh now. The only reason why I'm posting this is because I'm trying to get this heard. I want on the team now! Do not block me on all social medias or I will fucking die.
Daniel: [hyperventilating] I'm currently under attack! Please! Please! Please! [checks door] I'm currently under attack. You need to let me on the team now!
Daniel: I don't know what to do. Please let me on the team. I can't do anything. I want out. I want out!
Daniel: I will take down two videos on YouTube to show that I care! I will take down two!
Daniel: It's not letting me into my email! It's not letting me into my email because I don't have my phone number! It's not sending a verification to my phone!
Daniel: This is my only source of communication right now. For email, it wants my phone number for verification. Please, all I need is an answer. Yes, you're on the team and then everything will get taken down. I'm trying to call Josh but it won't be until later because I have to go all the way to the store just to do it.
Daniel: [hits himself] If you don't let me on the team now... I'm gonna have to die! I'm gonna have to stop! I don't know! I'm trying everything! [continues hitting himself]
Daniel: I will take down all videos but one I'm gonna take down all videos but one on YouTube please please fucking believe me please comment on the YouTube so I fucking know you guys are listening in the fucking fact that I'm trying all I want is to help all
Daniel: I want is to be on the team so I can get a life I have started deleting videos on YouTube but please trust me I need a comment now I want to be with the team Jamie I mean JP is currently in big trouble with the police for what he did.
[The day after the meltdown]
Daniel: [Daniel's shirt has changed, door has opened, he has calmed down bit] Police are currently on their way. I will give updates shortly.