Paige Lillian has found herself at the center of a heated debate after fitness influencer Joey Swoll reposted one of her videos.
The former Miami Dolphins cheerleader originally shared the clip during a solo trip to Rome, where she documented strangers looking at her as she filmed content in public.
The repost has since amassed more than a million views, with one critic writing, “Of course people will be looking at you if you pull up your phone and start making TikToks or sum like that!”
Highlights
- Joey Swoll reignited debate after reposting a video of influencer Paige Lillian criticizing strangers for looking at her while she filmed in public.
- The viral clip, originally recorded during Lillian's solo trip to Rome, has sparked arguments over influencer etiquette and "main character syndrome."
- Swoll says creators should stop expecting public spaces to revolve around their content.
Joey Swoll called out former Miami Dolphins cheerleader Paige Lillian, telling influencers, “The world doesn't revolve around you”
The controversy began after Joey Swoll shared Paige Lillian's viral video on his X account earlier today, on August 6.
Known to millions online as the self-proclaimed "CEO of Gym Positivity," Swoll built his platform by defending ordinary gym-goers from being filmed or publicly shamed by content creators.
His reaction videos regularly criticize influencers who accuse strangers of staring, mock people's appearances, or create disruptions while filming in shared spaces.
More recently, however, his commentary has expanded well beyond gyms.
Joey has increasingly weighed in on broader influencer culture, frequently calling out what many viewers describe as "main character syndrome," the expectation that everyone else should adjust their behavior for someone else's content.
He reposted Lillian's Rome video, captioning it, "The world doesn't revolve around influencers!"
Lillian, now a popular influencer, filmed the viral video while exploring Rome alone after traveling there for work last year
Long before becoming a content creator, Lillian had already built a sizeable following as a professional cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins.
She also performed as an ice dancer for the NHL's Florida Panthers before launching her career as a dancer and influencer.
She later transitioned into commercial dance, touring internationally as a backup performer for Colombian singer Manuel Turizo.
Today, she has amassed more than 1.7 million followers across social media, including roughly 924,000 followers on Instagram and more than 605,000 on TikTok, where she regularly shares dance routines, fashion content, and travel videos.
The viral clip that has resurfaced was originally recorded in November 2025, when Lillian traveled to Rome for a performance before extending her stay to explore the city by herself.
She later described the trip as her "first time trying to capture a solo" travel video, explaining that filming alone in crowded tourist locations proved far more difficult than she had anticipated.
The video, captioned "Influencing is NOT for the weak," showed her repeatedly reacting as pedestrians glanced toward her camera while she attempted to record content at some of Rome's busiest landmarks, including the famous Spanish Steps.
Viewers were angry after Paige criticized strangers for looking at her while filming in one of the city’s busiest tourist spots
What she presented as the realities of solo content creation, however, was interpreted very differently once the clips spread online.
Many viewers felt it highlighted something entirely different.
"I'll never understand the idea of wanting to be an influencer while simultaneously having a problem with people looking at you in public lol," one person wrote.
Another user commented, "On the Spanish Steps as well, which are super busy. If she wanted a take on her own, she should have got up at 5 am for it. Even then it is not guaranteed as people have to get to work."
"Puts big a** camera in middle of street and still telling people not to look," remarked a third.
Others expressed, "I don't know how they're so okay doing this. It's disrespectful to others."
Another viewer argued that the controversy would likely only boost Paige’s reach, writing, "And yet, she's going to get more views because [Joey] just marketed her."
The debate has since fueled a wider conversation about boundaries and how influencers should film in shared public spaces
While filming in public is generally legal in many places, creators are increasingly expected to follow a set of unwritten etiquette rules that balance content creation with respect for everyone around them.
That typically means avoiding blocked walkways, keeping tripods and cameras out of busy pedestrian routes, taking only a few quick attempts at popular landmarks, and blurring or removing bystanders from videos whenever possible.
Many creators also stop filming if someone specifically asks not to appear on camera.
Those expectations have become even more important as social media content has increasingly spilled into restaurants, cafes, gyms, and tourist attractions, with many businesses now introducing their own no-filming policies to protect customers and staff.
The discussion has also reached popular travel destinations.
Authorities in several tourist hotspots have introduced measures aimed at preventing visitors from blocking streets or overcrowding landmarks while taking photos and filming videos.
As one commenter summed up the debate, "If you're gonna do it, at least do it inside your home, because no one cares, nor do they want to see it or be in."
One netizen wrote, “This is such main character syndrome and attention-seeking behavior”
