16 TikTok Controversies That Made You Want To Delete The App
Every social media platform has seen its fair share of scandals, but TikTok might have an argument for having seen the most. For better or worse, creators on TikTok consistently make headlines. Oftentimes it’s for questionable content they have posted, but other times the the situation proves much more serious. TikTok creators have been accused of everything from faking robberies, to grooming children, to murdering their spouses. With over a billion monthly users worldwide, TikTok often sees people going viral for the wrong reasons.
TikTok also finds itself at the center of a controversy regarding its future. The US government has passed legislation to ban or limit the app, while others argue this amounts to government censorship and contradicts the principle of freedom of speech. Whether someone is for or against TikTok, the controversies outlined below showcase some of the most extreme examples of the content shared through the app, or other shocking behavior by the app’s most popular creators.
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JinnKid Killed His Wife And Her Friend Out Of Jealousy
Ali Abulaban, known as JinnKid on TikTok, had been known for posting videos of comedic sketches where he parodied celebrities and film characters. In October 2021, Ali Abulaban shot and killed his estranged wife and a friend.
Reportedly, Abulaban was jealous of his wife, Ana Abulaban, and her friend Rayburn Cardenas Barron, who she was possibly in a romantic relationship with. Abulaban admitted to the shootings and was arrested the same day, spending nearly three years in jail awaiting trial.
Abulaban went on trial for murder in 2024, with the prosecution arguing that the murders were pre-meditated, while the defense countered that Abulaban killed his wife and her friend in a fit of passion. In May 2024, the jury found Abulaban guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.
District Attorney Taren Brast said in closing arguments:
Heat of passion does not apply when you walk into an apartment that you had bugged, with a key card you were not supposed to have, to a fight that no one else knew was happening but you and you brought a gun.
