YouTuber responds after he's called out for mockingly eating food in front of homeless man

The YouTuber who was hit with a massive backlash after sharing a video of himself buying food for a homeless man and then eating it in front of him has claimed the video was a ‘skit’ and that it’s been ‘taken out of context’.

The YouTuber, who uses the handle whatsuptre, was branded ‘heartless’ and ‘evil’ after the clip was shared on Twitter where it racked up more 26 million views.

In the clip, the YouTuber approaches a man who appears to be homeless and asks him if he's hungry before offering to buy him a burger meal and drink.

YouTube/whatsuptre

"All right then I got you,” he can be heard saying. “What would you like? A Baconator, fries, drink - is that cool?"

But after making the purchase and returning to the man in the alley, he eats the lot in front of him and tells him: "I want you to enjoy this."

The video was slammed by social media users with one person commenting: “The things people do to get attention even if it’s negative is beyond me."

Another said the encounter 'heartless' while a third added: "Just when I thought 'pranks' can't get any worse..."

Others suggested it was staged, noting that there were ‘so many breaks and cuts in the video’ and that it looked ‘rehearsed’.

YouTube/whatsuptre

Now, whatsuptre has claimed that it is in fact all staged, telling UNILAD that the video was skit and the man was in on it.

He also said the clip had been ‘taken out of context’ when it had been shared online by others.

YouTuber whatsuptre told UNILAD: "This video was an entire skit the man in the video Isreal has been around our neighborhood for years and is like a big brother to all the kids in the community we asked him if he wanted to be in the skit where I eat a burger in front of him.

"He agreed and the skit was I act like I give him food and then I walk away the video is cut and edited I came back to give him food and he left as I told him to do! This entire video is being taken out of context."

In a longer version of the clip, shared to his Instagram, whatsuptre returns to the Wendy's and orders another meal before heading back to the alley - however, by this point the homeless man has disappeared.

After looking for the man, the YouTuber gives up and instead hands the meal to another rough sleeper.