TikTok star admitted into facility after watching Sound of Freedom

TikTok star Chris Rooney, who goes by Yeet Baby and Uncle Chris online, checked himself into a mental health facility after watching Sound of Freedom, his family confirmed. 

Unless you’ve been on a social media hiatus over the past month, you will have heard about Sound of Freedom. Distributed by Angel Studios, directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, and starring Jim Caviezel, the thriller movie tells the true story of former federal agent Tim Ballard.

Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad, the aim of which is to end child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Although critics have questioned the events involving OUR and Caviezel’s links to QAnon, leading to a heated debate online, there’s no denying Sound of Freedom deals with some very heavy topics. 

There have been numerous twists in this ongoing saga, from viewers claiming cinemas were sabotaging screenings to one of the funders being arrested for child kidnapping. For Rooney, his family claim that the film had an indelible impact on his state of mind. 

TikTok star admitted into facility after watching Sound of Freedom

After going missing for nine days, the family of Chris Rooney said they “got word that he had checked himself into a mental health facility,” adding that he had “seen the movie Sound of Freedom” prior to his disappearance.

Since 2020, Rooney has amassed 5.7 million followers on the theyeetbaby TikTok account with adorable videos of him and his niece Marleigh. His fans were left extremely concerned when he went missing from his home in Virginia on July 25, with loved ones making a public plea on social media and calling on the police to help with the search. 

Thankfully, he’s alive and well, and is now seeking help for his mental health struggles. This week, his family, who have not been named, shared a statement on the Yeet Baby Instagram account, explaining that his “emotions came to a head” after watching the film. 

Instagram/@theyeetbaby

“As many of you know, his life the last 6 months have been nothing short of difficult. What you all witnessed leading up to his disappearance was all of his emotions coming to a head,” the statement reads. 

“Prior to his disappearance, he had seen the movie Sound of Freedom, and like many others, he was sick to his core over it. This prompted him to post links to raise money for the cause of ending child sex trafficking.

“To many of you this may have seemed odd, but he genuinely wanted and still wants to help this case. Unfortunately, it was posted at a time that he was also visibly not in his right mind and not acting like the Chris we know and love.”

The following day, he was presumed missing, leaving his family and friends fearing for his life. After taking to social media and sharing their plea, they found out that Rooney had been admitted into a facility where he is “currently being treated.”

As well as thanking the fans, the statement includes an update from Rooney, which reads: “The amount of love and prayers I have received not just now but over the years, truly has brought me out of some very low times. 

“Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help me. It is something that I have to work on and am going to make it my life’s mission to not only get myself healthy but also others. 

“If there is one thing I have learned during this time, there are a lot of hurting people in this world and I am going to do everything I can to help them.”

For more on Sound of Freedom, hit the links below:

How to watch Sound of Freedom
• Sound of Freedom controversy explained
• Sound of Freedom box office
• Who is Jim Caviezel? 
• Why did Disney shelve Sound of Freedom?
• Is Sound of Freedom not being promoted?
• Studio rejects claims of sabotaged screenings
• Sound of Freedom international release dates
• Sound of Freedom funder charged with child kidnapping