Two Instagram influencers are in hot water more than a video which shows one of them painting a blue surgical mask on the other’s face to skirt Covid suggestions and enter a supermarket in Bali, Indonesia. Josh Paler Lin and Leia Se are now facing the possibility of deportation for the video, which they say was a prank played out only for the entertainment of their followers, reports Newsweek.
Josh and Leia, who are Taiwanese and Russian nationals respectively, faced quick backlash when they initially posted the video on line earlier this month. The video — which now appears to have been taken down from their Instagram accounts but continues to be extensively shared on line — shows them attempting to enter a supermarket in Bali. Leia, not wearing a face mask, was stopped by a safety guard at the entrance and the two returned to their car or truck, exactly where Josh proceeded to paint a face mask on Leia’s face.
With blue makeup and white straps, the painted face mask looked true sufficient to fool the safety guard when the duo returned to the supermarket.
Although the video was taken down right after Josh and Leia faced extreme backlash for potentially placing other shoppers at danger, Niluh Djelantik, a Balinese designer and politician, re-posted the video to contact the influencers out for their prank.
Ms Djelantik’s essential post brought widespread consideration to the video, reports The Smart Local. In her post, she referred to as on the Directorate-General of Immigration to deport the two influencers and wrote: “Do not let these people trample on Bali’s dignity.”
Josh Paler Lin and Leia Se briefly made their Instagram accounts private right after the backlash. On Friday, Josh posted a video exactly where he and Leia formally apologised for the stunt alongside their lawyer.
Josh and Leia are now facing the possibility of deportation. According to Coconuts Bali, Indonesian immigration confirmed that their passports have been seized.
“They are not only violating, but deliberately provoking in public, so it’s only proper to sanction them more severely, not just with a fine but also deportation,” stated the head of Satpol PP Bali, the area’s police force.