A viral video has captivated online audiences, unraveling a tangled tale of alleged ticket fraud involving influencers, and internet users are reveling in the unfolding drama.
The first weekend of Coachella, typically a spectacle of glitter and glamour, has been eclipsed by a high-stakes scandal. The controversy involves a group of prominent influencers, thousands of dollars in missing funds, and accusations of betrayal.
This unfolding saga, which has taken TikTok by storm, revolves around influencers who assert they were deceived by their own acquaintances in a chaotic dispute over the festival’s most sought-after item: the Artist Pass. These coveted passes are usually reserved for performers and their close associates.
The uproar began when Aioni Cobia and her friend, Mia LoCastro, used TikTok to accuse fellow influencers Chloe Rosenbaum, her boyfriend Ryan Manick, Keston Wolf, and Parys Townsend of tricking them out of festival tickets.
Since its release a few days ago, the video has garnered over 5 million views, sparking widespread discussion and reposts across various social media platforms.
Cobia and LoCastro allege that they were part of a large group chat organized by Rosenbaum to obtain discounted tickets through a purported “connection.”
The influencers reportedly shelled out $2,700 each for “Artist” wristbands — the gold standard of Coachella access that provides stage-side views and golf cart transport. Meanwhile, Manik and others in the group opted for the cheaper $1,200 VIP passes.
But when the festival began last Friday, the Coachella dream weekend turned into a desert nightmare. Rosenbaum allegedly told the group that they had been scammed by the third party vendor, who she had initially vouched for, and that now no bands were available.
Already on the grounds, Cobia and LoCastro spent thousands of dollars more on replacement tickets to get in to the festival. When they got back to LA on Monday, the plot thickened. Cobia texted the shady vendor who she had paid for the passes and demanded a refund, only to be told that he had dropped off said passes for Saturday and Sunday and had given them to Rosenbaum and her “group.”
Allegedly, only Rosenbaum had actually shelled out nearly $3k for the passes.
“They stole our artist bracelets,” Cobia claimed in the viral video, pointing out that while people like Manik only paid for VIP, he was suddenly seen backstage with the more exclusive green-tagged Artist pass with a lower case “a” on them.
Now, the scandal is spilling onto Reddit — where users are tearing into everyone involved.
On a thread in the r/LAinfluencersnark subreddit, commenters claimed the alleged scammers were “known” for shady behavior, with one user warning, “Ryan Manick is a known scammer” and questioning why anyone would trust him in the first place.
Rosenbaum eventually broke her silence, calling the situation a “mix-up” and labeling the public outcry “childish.” She has since received hundred of comments on her Instagram from people calling her a thief and a scammer.
She maintained that she was also a victim of the scam and claimed everyone eventually got into the festival, so it “wasn’t that deep.”
As it stands, Cobia and LoCastro claim to have received only a partial refund.
While the ferris wheel has stopped spinning for Coachella 2026, the social media circus is just getting started.
