Frenemies

Frenemies was a podcast hosted by Trisha Paytas and Ethan Klein on the H3 Podcast. The podcast focused on discussing personal experiences, pop culture, internet drama and mental health. It consisted of 39 episodes and two accompanying vlogs. Paytas and Klein's friendship was occasionally tumultuous, leading to episodes that were incomplete due to a verbal argument. The podcast came to an end during its 39th episode, after a dispute with Paytas and Klein about podcast revenue and production ownership. Despite this, "Frenemies" gained recognition in the podcasting realm and found a place in numerous Top 50 lists, frequently pulling in millions of viewers per episode. Background In May 2019, YouTuber Ethan Klein of h3h3Productions released a video titled "Instagram vs. Reality," in which he criticized the heavy editing and filtering of photos on social media. In this video he criticized Paytas’s excessive editing of their photos. Paytas responded with a series of tweets, calling Klein a "disgusting piece of shit" and accusing him of causing harm to young girls. The two engaged in a back-and-forth exchange, with Klein mocking Paytas in subsequent videos. Eventually, Klein and Paytas reconciled and even appeared together on the H3 Podcast in October 2019. Following this, the Kleins had Paytas back on the podcast to compete in their series entitled "the BacH3lorette," a parody of ABC's The Bachelorette. It was this time that Paytas connected with Moses Hacmon, brother of Hila Klein, Ethan's wife and, during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, started a relationship with Hacmon whom she later married. In September 2020, the podcast was launched, with the first episodes' title ("Trisha's New Boyfriend Is Hila's Brother - Frenemies #1") referencing the start of their relationship. Content Frenemies primarily revolved around Paytas and Klein's unique friendship and the dynamic that came with it. The podcast was described as having a very open dialog about mental health. They often engaged in feuds with other creators, such as members of the Vlog Squad. On occasions, the podcast featured guests, such as Dr. Drew Pinsky, Jeff Wittek, and Hila Klein.