Among the attendees at the infamous festival, Liao became a focal point of numerous tweets due to his controversial behavior, which included stealing beds and urinating on mattresses during the festival’s opening night. His actions sparked outrage and discussion across social media platforms, highlighting the chaotic atmosphere of the event.

In response to the backlash following the release of the documentary, Liao took to Instagram to address the public’s concerns, stating, “People are upset with me, and I understand why – I definitely didn’t come across well in the film given the way it was cut.” This acknowledgment reflects his awareness of the impact of media portrayal and public perception.

He offered additional context regarding his and his friends’ behavior, suggesting that the tents they interacted with were unoccupied. Liao attempted to clarify the situation by stating, “People spread rumors about locals wielding machetes, tents and stands being set on fire, and rabid dogs roaming the site (all of which was later revealed to be false),” emphasizing the misinformation that circulated during the event.

Liao continued, “On film, I was laughing when telling the story, but in reality, at Fyre, we were panicked. What I was laughing about on film was the absurdity of the entire situation in retrospect. @chris_smith knows this 🙂 I was laughing the entire hour and a half I was being interviewed, recalling the pandemonium and ridiculous things everyone was doing.” This statement underscores the complex emotions experienced by attendees during the festival.

In a show of support, he included a link to Rolle’s GoFundMe campaign in his bio, demonstrating his commitment to helping others affected by the festival’s fallout. Following these events, Liao transitioned to a professional role as the head of business development for Pulse Lab and BlockMedx, and he also ventured into film production in collaboration with Vice Media, which was responsible for producing the Netflix documentary that brought these stories to light, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile.