‘Hot Doctor’ Mikhail Varshavski has come under withering fire from his millions of followers after pictures of him ignoring his own advice...
‘Hot Doctor’ Mikhail Varshavski has come under withering fire from his millions of followers after pictures of him ignoring his own advice by partying maskless on his birthday emerged.
Varshavski — who has found Internet fame as Dr. Mike — has been in the vanguard of stressing the importance of wearing a mask to stop the spread of Covid-19.
But he appeared to break all his own rules when it came to his 31st birthday party, for which he flew from New York to Miami on November 12 to celebrate.
A picture of Varshavski on a boat in Sunset Harbor surrounded by 14 other people — most of them bikini-clad women — has since done the rounds with his fans calling him out for hypocrisy.
‘I know it's your life and you can do what you want, but you have chosen to be a public figure. And because of that, and your profession, you are held to a higher standard,’ one follower, calling themselves Irisheyez wrote on Reddit.
‘You are supposed to be the example. I admired and respected you. Now that is all lost.’
‘Hot Doctor’ Mikhail Varshavski (center, in black cap) has come under withering fire from his millions of followers after pictures of him ignoring his own advice by partying maskless on his birthday emerged
Varshavski — who has found Internet fame as Dr. Mike — has been in the vanguard of stressing the importance of wearing a mask to stop the spread of Covid-19
But he appeared to break all his own rules when it came to his own 31st birthday party which he flew from New York to Miami on November 12 to celebrate
A picture of Varshavski (back right, in red shorts) on a boat in Sunset Harbor surrounded by 14 other people — most of them bikini-clad women — has since done the rounds
Fans have been calling him out for for hypocrisy (pictured)
Another, UghDestiny, added: 'This year was awful and Dr. Mike was a safe place for me. I was actually glad I discovered him before the pandemic, because without him, I would've probably lost my mind with crazy conspiracies.
‘I never cared about my health, I never trusted doctors before him, now I don't know what to believe or do anymore. I was able to bring my family back to reality only with the information and arguments he has provided in his videos.’
And a third, Anko_Dango wrote: ‘When you become a very large and growing medical influencer, one that a lot of people rely on for medical information in regards to the pandemic, it’s not a good look.
‘Ultimately it's his life and he's free to do whatever the hell he wants, but he has to deal with the consequences, and if that means his fans turning on him, so be it.’
Varshavski did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails from DailyMail.com asking for comment.
The viral picture was accompanied by a video of Varshavski working on one of the women’s necks while in bathing trunks. He is seen kneeling on the boat’s deck while she is lying face up on it. This time he was wearing a mask, although the woman was not.
Varshavski has built up a huge following over the past five years since a picture of him with his husky Roxy went viral. People magazine named him the ‘Sexiest Doctor Alive’ in 2015.
One estimate puts his annual earnings as high as $1 million from his various Internet endeavors and his personal net worth at $7 million.
Since then, he has worked hard to build his image. He dated then-Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach in 2016, prompting one radio station to call them the world’s hottest couple.
The viral picture was accompanied by a video of Varshavski working on one of the women’s necks while in bathing trunks. He is seen kneeling on the boat’s deck while she is lying face up on it
This time he was wearing a mask, although the woman was not. The picture from his party showed people crowded together despite Varshavski’s public pleas for social distancing
He now has nearly 6.5 million subscribers to his YouTube channel as well as 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 2.9 million on Facebook.
He has also become a regular as a medical expert on television, especially during the COVID pandemic. He calls his social media work ‘edutainment.’
In July he told Maria Bartiroma on Fox Business: ‘Wearing a mask decreases the spread of this virus and that is of utmost importance for people’s health and the health of our economy.
‘So please, if you’re going outside in public and are going to be around other people, wear a mask. It doesn’t matter if it’s silk, cotton or surgical grade. The purpose of the mask is to limit the respiratory droplets that you put out into the environment.
‘By wearing a mask, you are essentially limiting the spread to the community. So, if you see someone wearing a mask, you should really be thanking them.’
The picture from his party showed people crowded together despite Varshavski’s public pleas for social distancing.
‘Social distancing is incredibly important. That’s how we control the spread of this virus,’ he said during a YouTube interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci in the spring.
Varshavski, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, was born in the old Soviet Union and came to the United States as a six-year-old, when his parents immigrated.
His father Oskar had been a doctor in Russia but felt he could never move up the ladder there because he is Jewish. He had to take all his medical exams again and still practices in Brooklyn.
His mother Yelena, a mathematics professor in Moscow, worked sweeping floors for minimum wage when the family moved. She died in 2010.
Varshavski spent most of his childhood in Staten Island, New York, but has now moved to Manhattan, in an apartment overlooking Times Square.
He now has nearly 6.5 million subscribers to his YouTube channel as well as 3.9 million followers on Instagram and 2.9 million on Facebook. He has also become a regular as a medical expert on television, especially during the COVID pandemic. He calls his social media work ‘edutainment'
‘Social distancing is incredibly important. That’s how we control the spread of this virus,’ he said during a YouTube interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci in the spring
He dated then-Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach (pictured together) in 2016, prompting one radio station to call them the world’s hottest couple
Varshavski has built up a huge following over the past five years since a picture of him with his husky Roxy went viral. People magazine named him the ‘Sexiest Doctor Alive’ in 2015
He works as a primary care physician in a family practice in Chatham, New Jersey. Staff there would only give out an email address for him.
His medical practice’s website says: ‘He believes in preventive care and in educating individuals on how small lifestyle changes can make a big impact on quality of life as well as health outcomes.’
It adds: ‘Dr. Mike has expanded his influence as a physician far beyond the walls of his practice.
'Through his rapidly growing social media presence, Dr. Mike motivates, inspires and advises millions of followers and fans.
‘His social media posts, YouTube channel, face-to-face encounters, speaking engagements and appearances on network news shows — which includes ABC’s Good Morning America and Nightline — all prescribe a healthy dose of honest medical advice.’
Part of that advice was to tell people to think carefully before traveling during the pandemic. ‘Do your research before you travel of where you’re going,’ he said this summer.
‘Look at hospitalization rates to make sure they’re not peaking.’
When he traveled to Miami for his November 12 birthday, the city had been under a state of emergency for nine months due to the virus.
Florida reported 6,933 new cases for that day — the highest in more than three months. Within three days it had reached a high of more than 10,000 cases a day.
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