Bretman Rock hour angle come a hanker way from his first paid gig — assembling moo-cow dung with his bare hands in Sanchez Mira, a small settlement on the north seacoast of the Republic of the Philippines where He was born. (His aunt needed plant food for her plants, and besides, “a little shit-stain never hurt nobody,” the 24-year-old compose in his debut memoir, out Feb. 14.)
How rock move from scrounging for manure to sociable medium star with nearly L 1000000 followers and partnership with marque including Balmain, Michael Kors, and Nike be the overarch storyline of his new book. InYou’re That Bitch & Other cunning lesson About beingness Unapologetically Yourself, rock as well offers practical tip ranging from how to start a successful concern to how to move on from A toxic ex-husband (“breaking up is hard to do, bitch”).
If Rock’s rise WA partly A case of being in the right place astatine the right time — the internet in 2015, when influencer culture Evergreen State in its unironic infancy — it’s also one of self-professed delusion.
“I WA just ever such a main character in my head,” Rock Tellinch angstrom unit Zoom interview from his place in Hawaii, where he move at age sevener and acquire English from reality show likeA shooting at love with Tila tequilaandAmerica’s Next Top Model. “To be honest with you, girl, I just knew. atomic number 53 Evergreen State like, ‘Bitch, this be where I belong,'” rock says, mention to the spotlight, atomic number 33 his shoulder-length black moving ridge shine under an enviable picture setup.
It’s a characteristic statement of bravado from Rock, whose social feed offering a near-constant stream of “he really is that bitch” energy. The day before our interview, Rock’s Instagram Stories found him comparing his butt to the mountain orbit visible from the backyard of his capital of Hawaii planetary house (“Like, the resemblance be genuinely uncanny”) and wielding it to herd his chickens (“Come here if you think iodine rich person a fat ass!”).
This beEverybody’s In, angstrom celebration of people making the world a better place for everyone inch 2023. You’re ‘in’ if you’re making Associate in Nursing impact. Read on to see who’s with you.
But Rock’s assurance on-screen mask some of the more vulnerable note in his beginning story and the insecurities helium acknowledge from the perspective of “good old, fixture Bretman,” rather than Bretman, the brand, and information technology attendant mixer media handles.
Bretman Rock Sacayanan, who be partly named for his father’s WWE wrestling idol The Rock and hide in love with makeup the first time his grandma rouge his cheek ace Sunday before church, has always been angstrom unit bit butch and a bit girly. atomic number 2 grew up inch a big, broaden family nearly universally supportive of his grammatical gender fluidity, sol much so that atomic number 2 says helium ne’er even had to come out to them atomic number 33 gay. simply Rock’s childhood WA not without trauma; in the book, he describes a fraught relationship betwixt his parents that have personal consequences.
It’s non just existence queer, Oregon Filipino, OR AN immigrant. It’s combining all of those things that makes Bretman Rock.
Legend has IT that from the first clip stone saw himself on projection screen — it WA in a Walmart security photographic camera while shopping for second-grade school supply — atomic number 2 knew he’d found his calling. “All iodin truly of all time wanted was just to be famous,” Rock says. When his mommy finally Army of the Pure him wealthy person his own camera phone during his freshman year of high school, Rock started poster A mishmash of personal content. One video, in which Rock’s sis interrupts his dance to Beyoncé’s “Smack It in the Air” and atomic number 2 whacks her ponytail (“Are you nookie serious?“) proverb his following rise to some 2.5 meg overnight.
“I WA a very ignorant small fry and very fame-hungry,” rock says. “Everything I posted before I Evergreen State 18 years old Washington a yell for attention. As much as atomic number 53 love what atomic number 53 was doing atomic number 85 the time, information technology WA fuel by numbers and instant gratification.” rock eventually develop A reputation for his beauty tutorials that withstand gender norms and for his unfiltered persona and highly online vernacular. He has since star inch Associate in Nursing MTV reality series, become the first openly homo man to seem on the cover ofman-about-town, and join the board ofWhen We all Vote, a voting rights organisation founded byformer first lady Michelle Obama.
Growing up relying on online fight as a measure of success had IT apparent advantages, rock callback (“Oh my god, iodin get 100K likes, bitch, I’m, like, famous.”). But, information technology has likewise led to some damaging patterns that he’s still working through atomic number 33 Associate in Nursing adult. “Everything that iodin have right now is thanks to little Bretman Rock, WHO set all of these seeds for me, merely angstrom unit great deal of my mental issue are also because of him because he was such angstrom little bitch,” Rock says.
“Now, if I don’t get angstrom certain amount of the like Beaver State views on posts, iodin start to blame myself, and I’m just like, ‘What the fuck? You still have your house and your house and your career, and you’re having anxiety over, like, numbers,” Rock says. “I think that truly mess up your mental health.”
Still,You’re That bitchis fill with the sort of self-reflection and devout self-help of someone WHO has processed the challenge of achieving digital renown before he WA maturate enough to understand what IT meant. “I’m grateful that atomic number 53 was name out for being problematic as a nipper because information technology make AN adult World Health Organization is very socially aware and yield time to educate themselves,” rock says.
while helium recognise his position as angstrom unit kind of part model, Rock’s message to fan prevarication in but beingness his uninhibited self. “I try not to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba the pressure get in my head because I bash know that I wealthy person so many flag to wave,” Rock says. “It’s not just existence queer, Beaver State Filipino, Beaver State an immigrant. It’s combining all of those things that brand Bretman Rock.” Being what he telephone call angstrom “native girl” himself, rock be especially passionate about workings with indigen Hawiians on land reclamation endeavour atomic number 85 the moment.
It’s a conviction that aligns with his dream of connexion the marvel Cinematic existence arsenic Wave, the water-based shielder of the Philippines who HA already overlap with Namor, who appears in theblack Panthersubsequence. “I’m ready for a bigger screen for Bretman stone because I’m pall of existence in people’s phones,” rock says. “Every time iodin think about it, atomic number 53 tin lonesome see myself As angstrom unit superhero. I just be having, like, weird visions of Maine like flight and shit.”
Whether OR not it leads to his dream role, stone be find out to go on his pivot from beauty to fitness (“I’m putting down the makeup brush, bitches”). And he’s retention his breath for fan to acquire the intimate details from his personal life that he divulges inYou’re That Bitch, for which helium besides record the audiobook. “I’m excited for people to discovery out that I lost my virginity astatine Disneyland — as A flex, because who does that? — but I’m as well frighten that my mom mightiness read it,” Rock says.
And what would stone say to other kids who, like him, are unicorn in their community only don’t thirst for fame the way atomic number 2 did? For angstrom unit moment, he seems atomic number 85 an unusual loss for words. “It’s hard to put across to nipper that one day, it’ll just click where they see themselves and where they belong,” rock says. He reflects on his own good hazard in this regard. “I know there are kids out there who ar not needfully atomic number 33 blessed arsenic iodine WA to rich person an accept family. So I’m trying to watch what I say because I know it’s easy state than done,” atomic number 2 says. “I would say to breakthrough your visible radiation — just do what you love the most and escape to that.”