After YouTuber and podcaster Ethan Klein was accused of having an affair by his wife, Hila Klein, much of the internet was anticipating a response from one of Ethan's most famous scorned former collaborators, Trisha Paytas, and her husband Moses Hacmon, who is Hila's brother.
"I just kind of felt relief," Paytas said on an Oct. 27 episode of her "Just Trish" podcast, breaking her silence on the topic. "And like, I'm really ashamed to say that because it's an awful situation."
Paytas and Ethan Klein co-hosted the "Frenemies" podcast from Sept. 2020 to June 2021. It was a rocky partnership, founded on their frequent arguments on social media after Ethan Klein called out Paytas for editing her Instagram photos. They formed the "Frenemies" podcast to both
settle their differences and monetize their feud.
In 2020, Paytas met Hacmon, Hila Klein's brother. After "Frenemies" ended, Paytas and Hacmon married in December 2021 – and went no contact with the Kleins, even though both families have young kids who are cousins.
"Everything that's happened in the past 72 hours, it's hard. It's hard to talk about," Paytas said in the recent episode, adding, "I see a lot of people that were wronged by Ethan obviously, like, celebrating, rejoicing … I don't feel that way about it, obviously. 'Cause it's, again, it's Moses' family. We also have kids the same age."
Paytas said neither she nor Hacmon were aware of the affair allegations until everyone else was. They don't talk, she said, because Ethan has spread several “smear campaigns” against her. (USA TODAY has reached out to the Kleins for comment.)
Hacmon is not typically an on-air contributor to the podcast but appeared on this episode, and said Ethan spread lies about him, too. According to Hacmon, after the Kleins drew backlash for their support of Israel, Ethan tried to paint Hacmon as sharing their views. "We don't have the same beliefs. We're not the same people," Hacmon said.
As one example, he pointed to Ethan's claim that Hacmon was a combat pilot who had killed people. "I never graduated from flight school. I never was a pilot. I've never been in combat. I never hurt anyone," Hacmon said.
Hacmon also said Ethan told the family a different story: that the Kleins were getting hate because Paytas and Hacmon are "pro-Palestine" and don’t support Israel.
"Everything is Ethan's self-destruction," Hacmon said later. "At first he did everything he could to destroy my family, and he was successful at that, unfortunately. And after that, he did everything he could to destroy his own family, and he was successful at that too," he also said at one moment during the podcast.
"The Ethan I thought I knew, or I liked or enjoyed spending time with during 'Frenemies,' is just completely gone," Paytas said, adding, "And I think it's really sad because I think a lot of people found him funny and entertaining and don't know what happened."
Hacmon said he doesn’t feel right talking about his sister, but talking about Ethan is on the table. "Ethan to me is not part of the family anymore," he said. “Seeing my sister being humiliated like that by him on the show for months and months, it’s very dark."
"I was in tears because I read the statement from my sister … Even though I don’t talk to her," he also said.
Hila Klein says she was living in a 'nightmare'
Ethan and Hila Klein are behind the popular YouTube channel H3h3Productions, which they started in 2011. They run several business ventures together in the online space and in the fashion industry, including the "H3 Podcast," founded in 2016, and the clothing brand Teddy Fresh, founded in 2017.
Hila shared a lengthy statement on Instagram early on Friday, Oct. 23, accusing Ethan of cheating. "I am living in a nightmare I can't wake up from. My husband has been having an affair," Hila Klein, 38, wrote. "I have been fed lie after lie after lie for months. I am tired of lies. Here is the truth."
Much of the podcast's crew shared messages of support for Hila Klein. Ethan Klein shared his own statement to his Instagram stories that reads: "I know a lot of people are understandably looking for a comment from me, but I ask that you please respect my family's privacy and do not contact them looking for me or asking for their comments. They have nothing to do with this and share in your outrage and disappointment. Thank you."
The comments come hours after Ethan Klein, 41, announced the couple's "H3 Podcast" would go on an "indefinite hiatus" and thanked fans for their patience without further explanation.
H3 fans were shocked by the announcement because the channel was built on Ethan and Hila's relationship. "This is vastly more devastating than even my own divorce," wrote one Reddit user on the /r/h3h3productions subreddit.
The Kleins' "H3 Podcast" is known for having takes on pop culture moments, and a clip from a 2022 episode of Ethan Klein ridiculing fellow YouTuber Ned Fulmer for having an affair has resurfaced this week.
"The really sad part is they have two kids," Ethan, who now has three kids with Hila, said in the 2022 clip. "Cheating is so despicable, man, especially when there's kids involved." He went on to say that he can't believe men put their wives through childbirth and men feel the need to cheat. "It's got to be humiliating for his wife. And she's got to do this in the public eye."
Contributing: Moises Mendez, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trisha Paytas breaks silence on Ethan Klein affair: 'It's an awful situation'
