Acid (YouTuber)

Belgian YouTuber

Nathan Vandergunst

Personal information
Born|  (1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 (age 26)
Nationality| Belgian
Occupation| YouTuber
YouTube information
Channels|

* YaDsAcid
* ACID2

Also known as| Acid
Years active| 2013-present
Subscribers| 1.08 million (combined)
Views| 269 million (combined)

* * *

Last updated: 24 August 2024

Nathan Vandergunst (born 29 June 1999), known professionally as Acid (pronounced /ˈeɪsɪd/), is a Belgian YouTuber. He started his YouTube channel at the age of 13 in January 2013. He lives in Blankenberge,[1] a seaside city in the Belgian province of West Flanders. He makes videos in Dutch.

## Biography

[edit]

Vandergunst began posting videos on the video platform YouTube, mainly videos about the third-person shooter game Qpang. At the age of 13, he started his channel "YaDsAcid", which is also the name visible on his Twitch channel. He reportedly named his channel after the character "Acid Burn" from the 1995 film Hackers.[citation needed]

Since the start of his career, Vandergunst has had a majority Dutch audience. In order to make his videos understandable for all his viewers, he taught himself to speak Standard Dutch. As a result, his accent on the internet is considered a blend of Flemish and Dutch.[2]

In late 2021, he released the single "Go, Acid!" together with Joost Klein and Apson, which was his debut single. The song spent 3 weeks in the Flemish Ultratop 50 charts, peaking at position 41.[3]

## Controversy

[edit]

In June 2023, Acid sparked controversy by publishing a YouTube video that revealed the names, photographs, and occupations of certain members of the Reuzegom student club. Just days earlier, several Reuzegom members had been convicted by a Belgian court for their involvement in the 2018 death of fellow student Sanda Dia during a hazing ritual.[4][5] However, Acid argued that the sentences handed down were too lenient.[6]

Subsequently, Acid was sued in criminal court by a restaurant owner for harassment, slander, libel, defamation, discrimination and cyberbullying. The catalyst was Acid's accusation that the restaurant owner's son was partly responsible for Dia's death, accompanied by a flood of negative fake reviews and false reservations targeting the family's restaurant.[6]

In February 2024, Acid was found guilty of electronic harassment. He was sentenced to a fine, provisional damages, and a three-month suspended prison sentence.[7] Acid did not appeal his conviction. He started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the fines, damages, and legal costs, raising €160,000 within a few days.[8] He committed to donate any surplus funds to the Sanda Dia Foundation, established by Sanda's father, Ousmane.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Haeck, Pieter (7 September 2023). "Who's afraid of Belgium's hottest YouTube star?". Politico. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
2. ^ Droeven, Valerie (29 March 2019). "Youtube-ster Acid: 'Fuck, ik heb impact en dat is niet altijd goed'". De Standaard. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
3. ^ "Acid feat. Joost & Apson - Go, Acid! - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
4. ^ "Ex-fraternity members in Belgium found guilty over death of student". The Guardian. Associated Press. 26 May 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
5. ^ Stevis-Gridneff, Matina; Ryckewaert, Koba (26 May 2023). "Students in Belgium Hazing Death Are Sentenced to Fines and Service". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
6. ^ a b Clapson, Colin (1 June 2023). "Students involved in Sanda Dia's death named, YouTube video removed". vrtnws.be. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
7. ^ "'Money always wins': YouTuber convicted for exposing names of Reuzegommers". Brussels Times. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
8. ^ Belleman, Bas (22 February 2024). "Judge punishes Flemish vlogger more severely than perpetrators of deadly hazing". www.cursor.tue.nl. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
9. ^ Schots, Linde (23 February 2024). "Na de belofte van Acid om geld te doneren: wat is de Sanda Dia Foundation?". GVA. Retrieved 9 August 2024.