Jess Brennan has broken her silence, after she came under fire over a boozy brunch she promoted in Dublin last week.
The social media star, who boasts over 77k followers on her Instagram page (grown by over 8k since the scandal) , caused outrage last week when she shared photos and videos from the event on her Instagram Story.
Attendees could be seen flouting social distancing rules as they partied in Dublin bar BerlinD2, which is based on Dame Street.
In footage shared by another attendee, bar staff were also seen pouring shots directly into multiple people’s mouths from the same bottle.
More pics from @Berlin_D2 of staff not wearing their face coverings correctly and people clearly not arsed with social distancing in cramped corners. So disrespectful to those of us that make an effort and all the doctors &nurses working their asses off. pic.twitter.com/KsGMEuBEFt
— ???????????????????????????? (@ErikaScally) August 16, 2020
I wouldn’t wish it on any premises to have their licence revoked, this fucking bar in Dame Lane tho.@gardainfo you need to shut down @Berlin_D2 fast rather than supervising evictions during a pandemic. #COVID19irelandpic.twitter.com/EwvZab2pdw
— Daithi K. (@tvcritics) August 16, 2020
The videos quickly went viral on social media, with many in the pub industry criticising the bar for allowing the party in the first place.
Many even demanded that the pub be closed down by GardaÃ, and the shocking footage was featured on RTÉ News, and hit headlines on newspapers nationwide.
Jess had remained silent over the backlash on social media, but she’s since shared a statement on her Instagram Story.
She wrote: “The last few days have been surreal to say the least, and apart from turning a blind eye to the floods of online abuse and personal criticism which is a dark enough duty without the need to publicly defend myself…”
What an utter shambles. This place should be shut down pronto. pic.twitter.com/Y4KhHnGTlG
— Noel Rock (@NoelRock) August 15, 2020
“I wasn’t in a position as a promoter to make any sort of statement alongside BerlinD2 regarding the video in question on their premises or the behaviour of their staff member last Saturday.”
Jess continued: “The media of course did what they do best, take one unreliable statement from an attendee (who by the way was there for the entire brunch) and less then a couple of minutes video footage as people were preparing to leave of what was admittedly a very irresponsible move of a member of barstaff before they were reprimanded by management.”
“This portrayed a largely rule-adherent small gathering as something much different and was not by any means a representation of the brunch as a whole and personal footage and cctv footage of the restaurant proves that all in all your man was talking out of his arse.”
“Today, after review from relevant authorities it is outlined in The Irish Times how neither the owners nor staff at BerlinD2 were in breach of any Covid19 public health regulations. Something I chose to sit back for before saying anything myself,” she wrote.
“Handily enough though this 15 seconds of someone having a sip of booze has proved as a VERY convenient scapegoat for the government to hide their own shitty mistakes behind.”
Jess then addressed former Minister for Health Simon Harris, who tweeted about the incident last week.
Sharing footage from the event on Twitter, Simon wrote: “A right kick in the gut & middle finger to everyone in our country who has worked so hard & sacrificed so much, to everyone who has lost a loved one or been sick with #Covid19, to every frontline worker and to every responsible business owner who have suffered so much. Shameful.”
A right kick in the gut & middle finger to everyone in our country who has worked so hard & sacrificed so much, to everyone who has lost a loved one or been sick with #Covid19, to every frontline worker and to every responsible business owner who have suffered so much. Shameful https://t.co/g16bwoEn16
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) August 16, 2020
Jess continued: “Simon Harris if you want to tweet about Covid in Ireland and what is truly ‘shameful’ please discuss the unquarantined hoards of people on packed planes flying into the country from highly contaminated places…”
“The workers conditions in meat factories and the living conditions in DP centres around the country where recent outbreak have stemmed from and how tightening restrictions furthermore denying the nation of rights and freedom is the government’s preferred choice over a proven effective test and trace system.”
However, top Virgin Media journalist Gavan Reilly made the point that while the venue won’t be prosecuted, it does not mean they were acquitted of any wrong doing.
“Misrepresentation there. Irish Times said they wouldn’t be prosecuted, because they didn’t break any law. That’s a different kettle of fish to the guidelines,” he wrote on Twitter.
Jess’s name started trending again after she released the statement, with some supporting her focus on ending direct provision and the issues with meat factories in Ireland, while others felt she hadn’t taken any responsibility for the event.
If you put that Jess Brennan statement into my timeline as if it’s some right on pro worker anti direct provision statement and not just an exhibiton of her own vapidness, lack of remorse or any respect for the people who have given up or lost so much due to Covid, your blocked.
— Seána (@GrantSana) August 20, 2020
“Friends, if you think promoter Jess Brennan is the villain of Ireland’s Covid-19 woes, you’re looking in the wrong direction. She makes valid points on the wider picture in this post. Let’s not fall for scapegoating,” one user wrote in her support.
“The last paragraph of Jess Brennan’s ‘statement’ is actually bang-on. Who saw that coming?,” another added.
Jess Brennan shouldnt be used as a scapegoat but what happened was still wrong &whether it got out of hand intentionally or accidentally some responsibilty still needs to be taken by all who profited.That statement was self serving, deflected all blame & showed a lack of remorse
— Becka (@WhittyBecka) August 20, 2020