St. Paul parks ban TikTok star who gives to homeless people
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A Minnesota influencer who's built an online brand around filming charitable acts toward homeless people has been banned from St. Paul parks for six months.
Why it matters: Josh Liljenquist is part of a school of online influencers — including MrBeast and fellow Minnesota native Jimmy Darts — that turns random acts of kindness into huge audiences.
- While many of @joshlilj's 10.8 million TikTok followers are inspired by his giveaways, outreach workers in the Twin Cities say he's exploiting vulnerable people for his own clout.
The latest: Liljenquist told Axios he was blindsided by city officials' allegation that he "routinely" harasses people living in Pig's Eye Park — a claim he denies.
- "I don't even know what I did wrong," he said.
Driving the news: St. Paul parks department director Andy Rodriguez accused Liljenquist of going to the park to "harass, record and profit from vulnerable adults residing there without said individuals' permission," according to an April 6 letter informing him of the ban.
- The letter also faulted Liljenquist for planning to hold an "unlicensed event at the park on April 11th."
"I can confirm the letter is legitimate," parks department spokesperson Clare Cloyd told Axios, adding the department isn't commenting further "because it remains an active process."
Yes, but: Liljenquist spoke to Axios from Florida, saying he's been there on a long-planned family vacation since April 8. He said he hadn't planned an event at the park for April 11 and questioned why he would plan a gathering he would miss.
- He said he "very rarely" films in Pig's Eye Park but is meticulous about obtaining his subjects' permission to film and blurs the faces of anyone who doesn't want to be featured.
Context: Liljenquist, a 28-year-old born in Fairmont, got famous in part by showing up at a restaurant, buying hundreds of dollars' worth of food, and giving it away.
- A 2024 Star Tribune profile suggested the gestures genuinely moved some people on the streets.
Friction point: These uncoordinated food giveaways raised red flags for outreach workers, who warned about the crowds they drew and the tension they could spark when food ran low. Many still question whether Liljenquist's subjects want to be on camera.
- "People are in vulnerable situations, and the power dynamic means they may get filmed because they're desperate for the food and supplies," Sanctuary Supply Depot volunteer Flannery Clark told the Strib in 2024.
- Liljenquist said he has since pivoted from these giveaways, focusing more on helping "individual people." (He also said he never did a giveaway at Pig's Eye Park.)
Zoom in: Aaron White of St. Paul — who said he was once unhoused himself, but now works as Liljenquist's videographer — told Axios he can't recall any incidents like what the city's ban letter describes.
- White can recall four minor disagreements between Liljenquist and encampment residents, but "it never had to do with permission to film, or anything about Josh taking advantage of them." Mostly, he added, Liljenquist gets along well with residents.
Liljenquist said he's a daily presence in Pig's Eye Park, but "usually what I do is sit in the car." He offers a space for people to talk or warm up — and much of what they discuss is never posted, he said.
- "The stuff that I do off-camera is between me and Jesus Christ. You know, I have to answer to God one day," he said. "I do my fair share off-camera."
What's next: Liljenquist has asked Rodriguez for an appeal hearing and has retained a First Amendment lawyer.