Johnnie Guilbert

Guilbert was raised in San Jose alongside his brother, Josh, and his sister, Margaret. His father died from cancer in December 2010, when Guilbert was 13, an event that deeply affected him and later became part of his discussions about depression and grief.

Guilbert left high school after struggling with depression. He attended different schools and spent about four years in and out of therapy. He has used his public platform to discuss mental health, including a 2024 video in which he talked about experiencing another period of depression and considering therapy again.

Guilbert began making video blogs and challenge videos as a teenager, drawing inspiration from YouTubers including DeeFizzy and BryanStars. He moved from San Jose to Nebraska to live with BryanStars after leaving school, partly to avoid being sent to military school. His early videos with BryanStars included coverage of events such as Warped Tour.

In December 2013, Guilbert and BryanStars co-founded the collaborative YouTube collective My Digital Escape with Alex Dorane, Jordan Sweeto, and Kyle David Hall. The group ended in May 2016, after which Guilbert joined the collaborative channel Our World Away. He also continued publishing shopping, haul, challenge, and vlog-style videos on his self-titled channel, along with reactions and other content on a second channel launched in 2023.

Guilbert's creative partnership with Jake Webber developed after they connected on Twitch in 2022 and began communicating on Instagram. They moved into a Los Angeles house together in early 2023 and have collaborated on music and lighthearted online videos.

Guilbert released his first EP, Not So Perfect, in 2015, followed by Lost in 2016. His first studio album, I Could Sleep Here, I Could Die Here, was released in 2018. His music draws on alternative rock, emo-pop, and punk, with influences including The Cure, Never Shout Never, Black Veil Brides, and Panic! at the Disco.

In 2017, Guilbert and Jake Bateman founded the alternative rock band Til Death Do We Part. The band released the EP We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat in October 2017, followed by songs including “Disappear,” “Choke,” and “Curiosity Kills.” Guilbert has also been a member of the band Ghost House.

Guilbert's public image is closely associated with the emo and alternative music scene. His appearance has included black-dyed hair, tattoos, piercings, and makeup, while his music and videos frequently draw on emo culture.

Guilbert has said that he did not originally set out to define himself as emo. He described his involvement with the alternative scene as something that developed naturally, after which the label became part of how his YouTube content was presented.

Guilbert dated fellow YouTuber Alex Dorame, with whom he made videos including Reacting to Our First Kiss and Boyfriend Tag. Their relationship ended in 2019 after about two years.

In September 2024, Guilbert and actress Grace Van Dien made their relationship public through posts on Instagram.