Thirst Trap: Who is William White and what happened to him? Details from the Paramount+ documentary, explored

Thirst Trap: The Fame. The Fantasy. The Fallout is a documentary series that premiered on Paramount+ on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. The film chronicles the rise of viral TikTok star William White. Its official synopsis, according to IMDb, is:

A young man's single TikTok post unexpectedly launches him to social media stardom, creating a devoted following that tests the limits between online celebrity and real-world relationships.

Now that the documentary is out, people will be eager to learn who White is. Let's uncover all the details about him and his eventual fate that are explored in the documentary.

Thirst Trap: Who is William White?

Thirst Trap is a two-part documentary series that chronicles the rapid rise of TikTok star William White. White was born in 2000 and gained fame during the pandemic year of 2020, when the entire world was confined to their homes. He was working as a landscaper and started his TikTok account in January of the same year as a hobby.

He skyrocketed to fame after posting thirst trap clips of himself on the platform, where he danced to 70s and 80s songs. Suddenly, several Gen X women who described themselves as cougars began following him. Occasionally, he also uploaded mime videos.

However, one video of him doing a lip-sync to Barry Manilow's song Mandy suddenly increased his fan following. His admirers, mostly middle-aged women, formed a group called the Grotto Girls and began sending him money. One of them confesses in the documentary to sending him nearly $200,000. White would receive these sums via online transactions, and he would thank the sender by naming them in his live streams. This action would further make the fans happy and give them a sense of recognition.

At one point, William revealed that he slept with one of his fans. This led to jealousy among his fans, and soon, n*de images were leaked that started his downfall.

Thirst Trap: Where is Wiliam White now?

A still from Thirst Trap | Image via Paramount Plus

Amid growing toxicity, William White decided to cut ties with his fan base. According to the documentary, White stated that this incident tarnished his image, and people began distancing themselves from him.

White was baptised at the Marmari Paradise Beach in Greece, which was also attended by some of his admirers. As of 2025, White continues to upload his videos on TikTok. However, he has made a significant change to his profile and no longer uploads videos that made him famous.

In the documentary, White revealed that he aspires to be a part of the Hollywood industry. Thirst Trap is currently streaming on Paramount+.