Pattaya —
Former American YouTube fitness idol Connor Murphy reportedly went berserk in the Pattaya area and allegedly struck his Thai girlfriend with a golf club, but later told skeptical Thai police it was for social media content and wasn’t a real assault or issue.
On May 1st, 2024, at around 2:06 PM, Huay Yai police were called to a house in the Garden Ville Village in the Huay Yai sub-district, Chonburi province, after receiving reports from neighbours of a foreign man behaving erratically and injuring a Thai woman.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that the man, later publicly identified by Huay Yai Police as 30-year-old American fitness YouTuber Connor Murphy, was in a state of frenzy. He was destroying property and shouting incoherently inside his townhouse, according to Huay Yai Police.
Officers entered the house and according to their reports discovered blood splattered on the walls and a blood-stained golf club on the floor. Murphy himself had sustained a laceration to his abdomen from broken glass.
Murphy’s 20-year-old Thai girlfriend, Ms. Kanitta (surname withheld by Huay Yai Police), was found with bruises and cuts from allegedly being hit with a golf club and scratched by broken glass. Her 16-year-old sister, name also withheld, had also sustained minor injuries from glass cuts. The two women told Huay Yai Police that they had managed to escape the house through a window before the police arrived.
Over 10 police officers surrounded the house, as Murphy had locked himself inside the bathroom. Friends and officers tried to coax him out which took nearly an hour, and once calm, he was eventually taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Ms. Kanitta told Huay Yai police that she had been asleep when she heard the sound of breaking glass and objects falling. She then found Murphy acting violently, shouting, and bleeding. Murphy then allegedly attacked her with a golf club, forcing her to flee to her sister’s room. Ms. Kanitta had no idea what triggered his outburst.
The couple’s housekeeper, Ms. Anchulee Suandee, 55, told Huay Yai police that she received a LINE message from Ms. Kanitta asking for help. The message stated that her boyfriend was going berserk. However, Ms. Anchulee could not intervene safely, so she decided to contact the police along with neighbours nearby.
According to police reports, Murphy claimed that the incident was not an actual assault but rather a staged act for YouTube and Instagram content creation. Huay Yai police, however, were very skeptical and stated to Thai media that CCTV footage they reviewed in and around the villa doesn’t seem to support this premise. The footage has not been released to the press, however.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing and as of press time Mr. Murphy has not yet been officially charged with any crime, although Huay Yai police stressed they were still investigating, reviewing CCTV, talking to witnesses, and examining evidence.
Connor Murphy is a former American fitness influencer. His YouTube channel Connor Murphy, previously focusing on exercises, workout tips, and light-hearted pranks, has over 2.4 million subscribers. His Instagram has over 400,000 subscribers.
However, things recently took a bizarre turn for him, as he has also been involved in controversies related to his behavior and alleged mental health struggles.
Mr. Murphy has not publicly commented on the accusations and statements made by Huay Yai police as of press time, other than telling police directly that he claims the entire incident was staged influencer content.
This certainly isn’t the first incident in Pattaya involving famous fitness and bodybuilding influencers. In January of 2023 famous influencer Leo Rex was found dead in a Pattaya villa under controversial circumstances.
Also last year, famous YouTuber Joesthetics passed away in the Pattaya area at the young age of 30.
