A former celebrity assistant is sharing his not-so-positive experience with an unnamed star.
“This is my story of how I stood up to a celebrity who I was an assistant for and quit on the spot after enduring months of verbal and emotional abuse,” Tyler Wells said via Instagram in July. “I’ve been extremely nervous to share this, but it’s my story to tell.”
Wells explained that he began working as a celebrity personal assistant in Santa Barbara for a “very well-known” family, whom he gushed was “amazing” and “practically welcomed me into their family.” Wells then moved to Los Angeles, where he decided to “keep going” with his career.
“I spent months interviewing with other celebrities and notable figures and eventually landed an in-person interview with this person,” Wells recalled. “The interview went well and I got the job. I was excited. It felt like a huge victory after moving to a big city like Los Angeles. But almost immediately, the red flags started showing.”
Wells claimed that the celebrity would have a “screaming rage at any moment’s notice.” At one point, he said he was grocery shopping at night and received a call from the person saying he “f***ed up.”
“No context, just rage,” Wells explained. “I never knew what version of this person I was going to get when I came in for work. And I worked at their home, so it was inescapable. One time this person publicly humiliated me on my first time ever on set with over 50 people there, in front of another celebrity they were filming with. [They] screamed at me in front of everyone.”
Wells claimed that the star would make “comments about my femininity,” and alleged that “no man would ever desire me if I kept wearing lip gloss.”
“They threw things I confided in them back in my face,” Wells said. “Including things about my upbringing, even the fact that I was on Lexapro. Every time I tried to stand up for myself, they would tell me, ‘Back in my day, you were never allowed to say how you felt. You would have just been fired on the spot.’ Or would find some way to gaslight me and tell me, ‘This is how all of L.A. is. If you can’t handle me then you’re not cut out for L.A.”
Wells shared that he “believed” the celebrity “for a while,” feeling “trapped” and “scared to leave.” Wells said he woke up every day with “utter dread” before going to work — until he hit a “breaking point” when the person began “another screaming rage” about a plumbing issue.
“I gave them a few more chances to stop yelling, and then finally I just broke,” Wells recalled, “[I said], ‘Alright, then you know what, I quit.’ I start packing up all my things and they say, ‘What did you just say? You’re quitting? You’re quitting on me? If you’re quitting, you need to tell me now.’ I remember pausing, setting my bag on the counter and saying, ‘You can stop screaming at me and I will help you find a plumber, or you can keep screaming at me and I will walk out of that front door right now. You choose.’”
Wells alleged that the celebrity decided to continue “screaming,” so he walked toward the front door. Right before he exited, the star said, “You can prance on out of here all you want Tyler but you will always be nasty.” Wells told the celebrity to “look in the mirror” before taking off and sending “one final goodbye text” on the drive home.
He shared a screenshot of the text message, which was partially crossed off but read, “I am done being screamed at and being on the receiving end of your punches. I am not a human punching bag. … I gave you multiple chances to calm down, and you kept screaming at me. It is 2022, and you might not have been able to advocate for yourself in the workplace but I am, and I will no longer tolerate your abuse. Good luck to you.”
Wells ultimately made a “huge promise” to himself for the future. “I will never let anyone disrespect me like that again, and I will always advocate for myself,” he said. “Respect is earned, not given. If you’re in a job where you feel like you have to compromise your peace or tolerate that kind of abuse, you don’t. You’re allowed to speak up for yourself. And sometimes, walking away is the bravest thing that you can do.”
Wells’ post has since amassed more than 1 million views, with over 33,000 comments on the social media platform.
“I was a personal assistant in the entertainment industry,” Wells captioned the post. “this is the story of how i stood up to a celebrity i worked for and quit on the spot after months of emotional + verbal abuse. i’ve held onto it for years, but it’s my story, and it’s time. this was the moment i realized i didn’t move to LA to be disrespected. and if you’ve ever stayed in a job that crushed your spirit just to pay rent… i see you.”
He added in the upload, “Update: everyone saying to name a name — i am under an NDA and legally cannot reveal who this person is.”
