Israel
Gay Charedi TikToker outed as being secular actor from Tel Aviv
Erez Oved said he created a ‘character’ to bring awareness to strictly Orthodox people in the closet
June 18, 2023 12:16
Erez Oved said he created a ‘character’ to bring awareness to strictly Orthodox people in the closet
June 18, 2023 12:16As a proudly gay Charedi man, Yaakov Levy received declarations of support and gained tens of thousands of social media followers.
Dressed in traditional strictly Orthodox dress he attended Tel Aviv’s pride parade and waved a rainbow flag with the word “kosher” emblazoned upon it.
On Friday, however, his fans were shocked to discover that Levy is not Charedi but a character played by actor Erez Oved.
“Shame on him,” wrote Rabbi Daniel Atwood.
“This is very upsetting for anyone who grew up queer and orthodox, especially Charedi.”
Jack Lawson, who says he has known Oved for several years told the JC: "Erez lives in my neighbourhood and I’ve seen him around for a couple years. We’ve chatted a few times.
"I had no idea that he had another online alter ego until about a year after I met him. Erez comes across as your standard secular gay Israeli from southern Tel Aviv so it was kind of weird when I found out about 'Yaakov'.
"A few months ago, I saw a TikTok that a Jewish friend of mine from Puerto Rico shred to his Instagram story. It was a video of what appeared to be a Charedi man waving a Pride flag and I immediately recognized it was Erez.
"It deeply disturbed me and I haven’t spoken to Erez since, though I still see him riding his bike around Tel Aviv and sitting at the beach and cafes.
"Of course, he’s usually just wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip flops. The 'Yaakov' outfit is just a costume he keeps in his closet at home."
Writing on Twitter, Lawson added: “The day I found out about his ‘drag character’ or whatever you wanna call it I cut all ties with him.”
Andrea Karshan said: “I fell for it. And I was so happy to see that LGBTQ representation on TikTok. And now this just makes me sad and angry.”
Oved, 29, who appeared in Israeli drama Your Honor in 2017, responded to the outrage on Instagram.
"We live in a terrible reality,” he wrote on both Levy’s and his own Instagram accounts, adding: “I came to fight and try to change people's lives.”
In a full statement published on Saturday, he said his aim was to create “positive changes” in the world.
After coming out as gay himself two years ago, he realised that it would have been much harder if he had been born into a strictly Orthodox family, he claimed.
Oved wrote: "I decided to make a character, a messenger, that could be a symbol for all those [who] have difficulties with the subject, though looks humorous, but whose purpose was to bring awareness, and be the voice that it is OK to be Charedi and gay, for all those who can't make their voices heard.”
Oved previously performed in character as Levy in a video published to his YouTube channel in May of last year titled Conversion Therapy.
Last week, in character as Levy, declared he had “a dream” to make a documentary about his life.
“If you know a documentary director and/or a producer, I would appreciate it if you could send me their email address,” he wrote.
“I would be happy if you would agree to share this post so that you might see my movie soon on Netflix or HBO.”
In May he wrote on Instagram: “I put a decoration on my closet - the pride flag to remind myself of how dark my life was before I came out of the closet, and how proud and colorful my life is today. I personally recommend everyone to do like me!”
Apologising on Saturday, Oved insisted: "I never had any intentions to hurt or disrespect anyone. Just the opposite. I am sorry if I hurt anyone."