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20 Years Later: The Wild Story Behind Viral "Unforgivable" Videos
10 Sep
Summary
- Unforgivable videos originated from a Diddy fragrance ad inspiration.
- The series gained unexpected YouTube fame after being shared with friends.
- Collaborator Logan Hodge, who uploaded the first video, later passed away.
Filmmaker Gunnar Stansson is revisiting the origins of the "Unforgivable" video series, two decades after its initial YouTube upload. Stansson, who starred as the character Ricky in the grayscale shorts, explained the concept stemmed from a 2005 Sean "Diddy" Combs fragrance advertisement. He and friend Logan Hodge spontaneously created the videos, initially intending them only for a small group of friends.
Hodge, described by Stansson as an enterprising individual with a vision for the future, uploaded the first video on August 22, 2006, despite Stansson's initial reservations. The series quickly gained traction on early YouTube, leading to industry meetings and the eventual production of merchandise that reached Hot Topic by 2008. The final "Unforgivable" video was released in 2011.
Sadly, Logan Hodge passed away in 2018 at age 30. Stansson remembers Hodge as a deeply kind and giving person, crediting him as a "consummate auteur" and emphasizing the profound impact of his friendship and ambition. As of 2026, the first four "Unforgivable" videos have accumulated 64 million views.
