Breaking News Emails
YouTube stars Ethan and Grayson Dolan, whose father died Saturday after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer, are asking fans not to treat his funeral as a meet-up.
"If you are a fan of Grayson and I we love you and appreciate you so much," Ethan Dolan wrote to his more than 7 million followers on Twitter Tuesday. "The best way you could support us during this tough time is to NOT show up at our father’s wake or funeral. thank you guys and please please please respect my wish."
Grayson Dolan made a similar plea to his 7.32 million Twitter followers.
"We want this ceremony to be an opportunity for the people who had a close connection with my Dad to say goodbye and pay their respects," he said in a tweet. "We appreciate all of our fans so so much. Please respect My father Sean, Ethan, my family, and me send your love through social media only!"
The twin brothers, who are 19, requested fans not attend Sean Dolan's funeral, after the hashtags #SeanDolanMeetUpParty and #seandolanfuneralparty appeared on social media.
The security director at the funeral home in Somerset County in New Jersey handling their father's arrangements told NBC News on Wednesday that police officers and private security will be at the parlor during the wake.
Sean Dolan died at his home in Long Valley, New Jersey. He was 50. He was a "popular and well-loved teacher, principal, superintendent, and coach in many school districts" in New Jersey, according to his obituary. His wake and funeral will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Ethan and Grayson Dolan, known as the Dolan Twins, gained prominence in 2013 through the short-form video sharing app Vine, which was sold to Twitter in 2012 and closed in 2017. The pair has nearly 9 million subscribers on their YouTube channel and 17.7 million followers on Instagram between the two of them.