Getty Kristen Hancher
Kristen Hancher has come under fire recently after she posted a photo of her riding a horse in water on Instagram.
Hancher is a YouTuber and influencer with a following of more than 5 million on Instagram, 1 million on YouTube, and 55,000 on Twitter. Some of her followers have called her out for her horse-riding form while others have criticized the treatment of the animal.
The 20-year-old was reportedly helped by a guide in assisting the horse during the photo shoot, which took place in Anguilla.
“Kristen is an animal lover,” a spokesperson for Hancher told BuzzFeed News after the outrage. “The horse was safe at all times. There were no waves and nothing that could have endangered the horse.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. People Are Upset Over Hancher’s Horse Photo
“Old town road,” Hancher captioned the photo, referencing Lil Nas X’s smash hit, which has been the number one song in America for 14 weeks.
Of Hancher’s 5.8 million followers on the platform, over 350,000 liked the photo. “Love that song and this pic!” Fellow YouTuber Izadi commented. However, others did not express the same feeling.
“That’s NOT how you should sit on an horse??♀️,” Annika Herfen commented under the post.
“I can hear your spine breaking,” Demi Oppelaar said.
“Stop trying to make horse riding sexy.. trot along Bitch ??♀️?,” said April Cass.
Hana Abdelwahab simply commented, “Animal abuse.”
Hancher hasn’t let the controversy get to her though, as she recently posted a photo in which she wears bright-colored clothing and a matching yellow wig. Pocket full of sunshine?,” she said.
2. Hancher Recently Recreated Kylie Jenner’s Instagram Photos
In the 10-minute-long video, Hancher begins by saying that she has received a lot of comments about her resemblance to makeup mogul Kylie Jenner. Hancher said she should use the likeness to her advantage. She scavenged Jenner’s Instagram page and chose five looks she thought she could recreate.
“I transformed myself into Kylie Jenner and recreated her instagram photos!” Hancher captioned the video, which has been viewed over 600,000 times.
The Youtuber can be seen trying to mimic the model’s poses. She can be seen taking selfies on her iPhone, which is accessorized by a pastel blue case with multicolored hands throwing up the middle finger with “KRIS” overlayed.
The videographer can be heard spitting words of disbelief after the first round of selfies. Even Hancher said she was shocked by the outcome.
3. Hancher is an Influencer for Several Brands
On her Instagram page, Kristen can be seen sporting clothing from several brands including FashionNova, SHEIN, and SICKO CARTEL, for which she advertises. In one post she poses in a pink underwear set and matching wig for Lounge Underwear.
In several other posts, Kristen can be seen advertising for BANG ENERGY, which sells energy drinks and related clothing and merchandise. She has posted with the brand’s clothing and drinks, utilizing different colored wigs to match the mood.
In another post, Kristen promoted a new horror movie. “I’m not scared, you are? #WBPartner I got to see this girl in #AnnabelleComesHome a few days early and if you like scary movies, trust me you won’t wanna miss this one,” she wrote. “Go see @Annabellemovie in theaters near you on June 26th!”
4. Hancher is Dating Fellow YouTuber Austin Hare
“@austinxhare you are the love of my life,” Kristen wrote in a post on May 3, 2019. “You’re the sweetest, kindest human being I’ve ever met and I’m so lucky to call you mine. Waking up and falling asleep with you is the best feeling in the world, and I know we haven’t known each other for too long but I do know that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.”
Austin and Kristen appear frequently on each other’s social media platforms, usually gushing about their love for one another or advertising a product. Austin has 190,000 followers on Instagram and over 13,000 subscribers on YouTube.
“Every time I’ve let people in my life they’ve wronged me or used me so I’m always weary about letting new people in, but I’m so glad I did with you,” she continued. “We just have that special bond that no one else can understand, you’re my second half, you’re perfect, and I love you endlessly❤️”
“@kristenhancher it’s finally your birthday ?… words can’t describe how happy I am to celebrate today with you,” Austin wrote on May 17, 2019. “You are the best thing to happen to me, you are such an amazing girlfriend, you make me laugh more then anyone ever has ? and you are absolutely breathtaking. A lot of you don’t know MUCH about our relationship because we honestly keep a lot of it offline; but at the end of the day this girl is my world and I have never been more happy in my life ❤️ happy birthday bb.”
5. Hancher Has an Extremely Expensive Wig Collection
In a video she posted to YouTube, Hancher unboxes and tries on a new shipment of colorful wigs, which add up to approximately $3,000. Hancher said she get real, human-hair wigs custom made or from wig shops and that they are very expensive.
The first one Hancher tries on in the video, a long, platinum blonde wig, is worth almost $600, which she says is “a steal.” She also tries on a long mint green wig, a long cobalt blue wig, a short blonde bob, among others. Hancher can be seen wearing her rainbow assortment of wigs on her YouTube channel as well as her Instagram.
“I’ve paid so much for like a single blonde wig,” she says. “I think the most expensive blonde wig I’ve ever bought was like $3,000.”