"He’s just been completely crazy": Connor Murphy's friend reveals what happened when the cameras stopped rolling

The death of fitness influencer Connor Murphy has sparked an outpouring of tributes, but it has also reignited conversations about the public image he built online. As speculation continues to spread across social media, one of Murphy’s closest friends is urging people to separate the viral persona from the man he knew in real life. Speaking after Murphy’s reported drowning in Thailand, Austin Wayne painted a very different picture of the influencer, describing a calm, thoughtful friend rather than the unpredictable figure many viewers believed they were watching.

Connor Murphy’s friend says the viral looksmaxxing persona was not his real personality

Austin Wayne, who said he had been friends with Murphy for nearly three years, addressed the growing online discussion in an emotional YouTube video. He admitted it had been difficult to watch people reduce Murphy’s life to the controversial content that dominated his later years.According to Austin, many online comments have focused on the belief that Murphy had become unstable. He rejected that view, explaining that the version seen on social media did not reflect the person he spent time with every day.“So many people are just saying, ‘The past six years or so, he’s just been completely crazy,’” Austin said. But he insisted that was not the friend he knew.“You guys have seen me. You guys have seen my demeanour. I wouldn’t be friends with someone who acted crazy all the time,” he explained.Instead, Austin described Murphy as someone who remained remarkably composed even in stressful situations. Recalling one incident in Thailand, he said another person attempted to provoke a fight, but Murphy refused to react.“Connor had so much impulse control to not end up wanting to fight this guy, and he was so freaking calm. And that’s kind of how he always was. He was very, very calm.”Austin added that Murphy’s kindness left a lasting impression on him.“He was a very nice, genuine person.”He also reflected on one of their final moments together.“I remember the last thought I had was genuinely just how good of a person I think Connor is. Like, I love this guy.”Austin revealed that his friendship with Murphy carried special meaning because he had admired the influencer years before they met.“I grew up watching his videos, I wanted to be like him. I wanted to have a physique like him, I wanted to get girls like him. And I wanted to be a big famous YouTuber like Connor Murphy.”“And so to me, to be able to build a relationship, a friendship with that person, that meant a ton to me,” he added.

Connor Murphy’s friend urges people to focus on mental health instead of online attention

Austin also shed light on how Murphy created content, saying much of his unusual behaviour was intentional and designed to entertain viewers rather than reflect his everyday personality.He recalled filming at a wax museum where Murphy dressed as Maleficent for comedy videos.“And he would just act really crazy. Then he started like hopping around. Like, he would try to like make people like worried about him. And he would just do it for the camera. And then he would just stop, and he was super, super normal after that.”According to Austin, that ability to switch between a larger-than-life internet character and his private self was something he witnessed repeatedly while filming together.He also criticised people who, in his view, were using Murphy’s death to gain online engagement instead of showing respect.“What I really find sad about this entire situation is how many people it seems like they’re just using it for clout.”Ending his message with a broader appeal, Austin encouraged people to pay closer attention to those around them rather than becoming consumed by online appearances.“Make sure to take care of your mental health. Check on your brothers. Check on your friends. Make sure everyone’s doing okay mentally. That’s much more important than looksmaxxing.”His remarks have added a more personal perspective to the conversation, reminding many followers that the individual behind a viral online identity can be very different from the character audiences see on screen.