Bretman Rock is one of the internet's biggest rising stars. Soaring to fame as a teen, the
vlogger got famous for his beauty tutorials, but he's so much more than just another influencer.
The YouTube star is also beloved for his quirky sense of humor, and confident style. He's
got millions of followers across his social media accounts, with over ten million fans
on Instagram alone.
His over-the-top online presence belies a down to earth personality that many of his
fans might not know about. Here's untold truth of Bretman Rock.
"Bitch I got my RedBull, nobody can tell me s---.”
Yes, that's his real name
This influential beauty vlogger has a pretty unusual name. And he has his dad to thank
for it. As the story goes, Rock's dad is a big pro-wrestling fan, and he wanted to pay
homageto his favorite wrestlers in his son's name. Rock told KITV,
“He particularly liked Bret Hart and The Rock, so that's how he got Bretman Rock."
His beauty icon
Rock became fascinated with beauty products when he was around 4 or 5 years old. He told
HelloGiggles,
"I knew I was going to love or be doing beauty when I would watch my grandmother get ready
for church. It was a cool process to watch how makeup would make her feel when she put
it on, and the confidence it gave her."
His family supported his love of beauty, and Rock's mother let him experiment with her
makeup, something he is still grateful for. He told The Phillippine Star,
"Sometimes I get emotional because I had it so easy.…Especially when a fan comes up
and tells me, 'Oh my God, Bret, you've inspired me so much. My parents don't accept me for
being gay.' And I'm like, I don't know what my life would be if my parents didn't accept
me the way that they do."
Most likely to go viral
Rock hit it big at a young age, but had been active for years before getting famous. He
first uploaded to YouTube when he was in eighth grade, although he has since deleted the videos
because he thinks he, quote, "looked a hot mess", and by the time he was 17 his name
was known by millions. Regarding his Insta followers, he told KITV in 2015,
"It all happened so fast, like, two months ago I was at 200k and now I'm at 2.3 million."
As of 2018, Rock has over 10 million followers on the 'Gram. But in spite of his fame, he
said,
"I want to live like a normal life. I mean, I'm a boy that wears makeup, but I want to
be as normal as I can."
His secret talent
People may see Rock's full face of makeup and flamboyant personality and assume that
he's not the sporty type. But Rock is actually a gifted athlete and former star of his high
school track team. He told PopSugar,
"Before I fell in love with beauty, I fell in love with fitness first. Ever since I was
a child, I was always upside down, running around, or hanging somewhere; I was always
signed up for sports like soccer, volleyball, cross country, and the love of my life: track."
Now that he's out of school, Rock still makes a point of staying in shape, saying,
"I do CrossFit three times a week and weightlifting two times a week, and then I do my own training
in the weekends. […] It's the only time I feel like a regular-schmegular person."
Potty-mouthed rebel
Rock may be famous as a beauty expert, but he's also a born entertainer. And while he
might come on a little strong for some people, he isn't backing down.
"I went to the briefing earlier, and they're like you know you're not allowed to swear,
and I'm like what the f---.”
He told PopSugar,
"Being regular and doing what people expect you to do is sooo BORING.…I keep true to
myself by simply doing what I feel like doing and saying f--- you to anyone that tells me
otherwise."
Rock is all about keeping it real and staying true to himself, and he has no problem conveying
that message with a bit of potty-mouthed realness, telling the mag,
"If someone told me I can't wear makeup because I'm a boy or lift weights because I'm too
gay, then I will deadlift my ass off with a full face of makeup, with a blinding highlight,
using my Babe in Paradise palette just as a big F U to their faces."
Living out loud
One of the things that resonates so deeply with Rock's fans is his confidence.
"If Jesus was filming for Allure, what look would he be giving?"
He has turned into something of an icon in the LGBTQ community. But while he wouldn't
consider himself to be an activist, per se, he's been an inspiration to many. Rock told
Paper,
"It's hard to say I'm 'involved' in LGBTQ activism, as I think I live the fight for
LGBTQ rights everyday by just living honestly and openly and showing people it's okay to
be different."
But that's not the only identity he's fighting to protect.
His Filipino heritage
Rock was born in the Philippines, where he lived for the first few years of his life.
He later moved to Hawaii, but he hasn't forgotten his roots. He enjoys his celebrity in the
Philippines, where he hosted the 2017 Miss Universe Red Carpet, telling the Philippine
Star,
"People here are so heartwarming and nice.…I feel like I'm best friends with all my supporters
here. That's all you can really ask for."
But Rock isn't just proud of where he comes from, he's dedicated to repping his fellow
Filipinos. He told HelloGiggles,
"I feel great to show the beauty of Filipinos (they are some of the brightest people in
the world).…I want to prove that Filipinos can do things just the same as others, if
not better — and cuter."