Alexis Kestler
The internet was buzzing recently when an unlikely duo – controversial influencer Belle Delphine and alt-comedian musician Oliver Tree – posted a video of themselves kissing. The clip, shared on both their Twitter and Instagram accounts, showed the two internet stars locking lips passionately by touching tongues. The video quickly went massively viral, garnering over 1.6 million views on Twitter in just 3 days.
As a long-time fan and avid analyzer of internet culture, I couldn‘t help but dive deeper into this headline-grabbing viral moment. In this article, I‘ll give you an in-depth look at Delphine and Tree‘s personas, analyze the motives behind their collab, examine the fallout, and explore what a stunt like this says about manufactered viral moments.
So Who Exactly Are These Two? A Closer Look at Belle Delphine and Oliver Tree
For those unfamiliar, Belle Delphine is a divisive internet personality who originally made a name for herself in 2019 by selling her bathwater to fans for $30 a jar. The bizarre stunt instantly gave her worldwide attention. However, her Instagram account was ultimately deleted after repeated violations of community guidelines due to her risqué, near-pornographic cosplay content.
After taking an extended break from social media, Delphine re-emerged in 2021 having reinvented herself. She began posting more mainstream, brand-friendly content, while still engaging in the occasional viral publicity stunt. Her comeback has been successful, as she now has over 3.7 million followers on TikTok.
As for Oliver Tree, he‘s a 27-year-old singer, songwriter, producer, and comedian known for his signature bowl cut hair style. After gaining a following through his absurdist comedy videos on YouTube, Tree released his debut album Ugly is Beautiful in 2020. The album was a surprise hit, propelled by his breakout song "Life Goes On" which now has over 250 million streams on Spotify.
Tree is known for creating bizarre viral moments – like controversially remixing the Dr. Phil show theme song. His current Never Say Die Tour has been described as "equal parts comedy show and rock concert." So Tree collaborating with someone like Belle Delphine actually makes a lot of sense when you consider his love of internet absurdity.
Examining the Motivations Behind This Headline-Grabbing Stunt
When looking at internet celebrity collabs, the first question that comes to mind is – what‘s the motivation here? Is this just a shameless grab for content and clout? Or is there a genuine personal or creative chemistry at play?
In the case of Delphine and Tree, it appears to be a bit of both. The stunt garnered both stars exactly what they were likely looking for – headlines and social media buzz. According to data from HypeAuditor, in the 3 days following the kiss video post, Belle Delphine‘s Instagram follower count increased by 60,000. Oliver Tree saw a 30,000 follower increase on Instagram.
So clearly, they both benefitted significantly in terms of exposure. However, this doesn‘t necessarily mean there isn‘t also a real creative chemistry between Delphine and Tree. They both have a similar interest in creating absurdist viral moments that straddle the line between serious music/art and satirical comedy.
In the past, Delphine has collaborated with other internet celebs like Twomad and WillNE in very similar viral publicity stunts that helped cross-promote their brands. So while clout chasing is surely part of the equation, I don‘t think we should dismiss the potential that Tree and Delphine‘s zany sensibilities just genuinely aligned here.
The Fallout – Reactions Ran the Gamut from Disgusted to Delighted
The response to Tree and Delphine‘s antics across social media was decidedly mixed. Some fans were excited by the collab and celebrated the viral moment. For instance, one Twitter user posted "Oliver Tree and Belle Delphine content together.. my 14-year-old self would have been so happy."
However, plenty of others were turned off by what they saw as a crass publicity stunt. One Instagram commenter wrote "I don’t think I’m an Oliver Tree fan anymore." Others criticized the stunt but acknowledged the cynical business savvy behind it, with one tweeting "Oliver you truly have a talent for the most uncomfortable interactions I‘ve ever seen. It‘s art."
Overall, the controversy the kiss elicited was likely part of the plan. Delphine has made a career out of provocative viral moments, having long ago realized the power of backlash and criticism in amplifying her reach and brand.
Manufactured Viral Moments – What This Tells Us About Chasing Internet Fame
In many ways, this kiss video represents the state of fame and virality in 2025. The internet has made it possible for relative "unknowns" to collaborate and garner mass attention seemingly overnight. However, sustaining that fame long-term, versus just manufacturing ephemeral viral moments, is much more difficult.
Both Belle Delphine and Oliver Tree exploded from internet obscurity to notoriety in a short span of time. But they‘ve also both experienced backlash, cancellations, and waves of public opinion turning against them. Stunts like this kiss video help them fight through the rapid social media hype cycle, but also risk hurting their credibility as serious artists.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see if Delphine pivots back to more SFW mainstream influencer content, or if she‘ll continue seeking shock value. As for Tree, he may want to be careful not to be seen as chasing clout and headlines as his music career continues to grow.
Regardless, this viral moment undoubtedly gained significant attention for both stars. Only time will tell if it represents a genuine personal and professional alliance, or just a flash-in-the-pan publicity stunt.
In Conclusion: An Unexpected Pairing that Created an Instant Viral Sensation
Belle Delphine and Oliver Tree‘s recent kiss video took the internet by storm – for better or worse. It exemplified the modern reality of manufacturing viral moments through unexpected celebrity collaborations and controversial behavior. However, it also showed that backlash and criticism are inevitable when taking this approach.
As someone fascinated by internet culture, I‘ll certainly be keeping an eye on how both Delphine and Tree leverage this buzz moving forward. Will they double down on shock value stunts? Or will they return to focusing more on their craft and talents? Either way, their unpredictable relationship is likely to remain a source of intrigue and virality across social platforms.
