Passes refutes any claims that it approved or condoned the posting of underage explicit content on its platform
The safety of creators on its platform is Passes' top priority and the company actively works to ensure compliance with its policies
Passes is pursuing all legal avenues to hold those accountable including those who have perpetuated this false narrative
LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2025 -- Today, creator technology platform Passes released the following statement in response to false allegations about the Company and its founder, Lucy Guo.
Passes refutes any claims that it approved or condoned the posting of underage explicit content on its platform.
Passes was founded in 2022 to empower creators by enabling them to tap into their audience to create meaningful sources of income. Passes prides itself on delivering a world-class product and fostering a safe, creator-first platform with the best trust and safety measures available. In line with its mission, Passes forbids the uploading of explicit content and actively works to identify and remove any violations of its guidelines.
In recent weeks, Passes has been accused of encouraging or authorizing creators to post explicit content on its site, including in a recent lawsuit in Florida. To be clear, any claim that Passes approved or condoned the posting of explicit content from any user, particularly a minor, on its platform is categorically false and recklessly disregards the truth. The assertion that Passes would bypass its safeguards to encourage anyone to violate the company's Terms of Service and post explicit content directly contradicts Passes' entire business ethos. Passes has built a world-class content screening process to prevent such actions from occurring.
Passes has and will continue to defend itself against these meritless claims. To set the record straight, a Florida lawsuit was filed only after opposing counsel first demanded millions from the company, which Passes refused to pay. Now, plaintiff's counsel and others have resorted to spreading these false allegations in the media and behind the scenes to third parties before Passes has the opportunity in court to prove that the allegations in the complaint are baseless.
To be clear, the allegations in that lawsuit are appalling. Passes denounces the actions allegedly taken by the plaintiff's talent management, Alec Celestin and his assistant. Neither Celestin nor his assistant were acting on Passes' behalf or with its approval. Rather, they were intentionally deceiving Passes and violating its rules. Any effort to attribute their misconduct to Passes is baseless and nothing more than an effort to entangle Passes and its founder, Lucy Guo, in the lawsuit.
Passes has zero tolerance for bad actors who attempt to violate its policies and is fully committed to holding the perpetrators of these malicious activities accountable. Given the misrepresentations, Passes has cut ties with Celestin and his agency. The company is currently exploring all legal options for holding them accountable as well as those who have perpetuated this false narrative about the company.
It appears that Passes' competitors have turned Celestin's misconduct into a smear campaign to discredit Passes, its founder, and its status as the premier creator platform. Unlike some of its peers, Passes does not and has never encouraged or condoned explicit content on its platform—and it clearly communicates its rules to fans and creators. It is ironic that Passes is facing scrutiny for the content on its site given the total lack of meaningful content moderation from certain of its competitors. Regardless, the company cannot stand for such falsehoods to recklessly circulate in the court of public opinion.
Passes is proud of its community of thousands of creators. It takes very seriously both its role as a prominent platform in the creator community and its responsibility to keep that community safe.
For more information about Passes, please visit passes.com.
About Passes
Founded by tech entrepreneur Lucy Guo in 2022, Passes is the premier direct-to-fan engagement and monetization platform. Our platform connects creators with their fans through unique in-app experiences including live streams, one-to-one messaging, exclusive podcasts, custom merch, unlocked content, and much more. Passes has raised over $50 million from BOND capital, Abstract Ventures, Craft Ventures, Michael Ovitz (CAA founder), Emma and Jens Grede (SKIMS founders), Paris Hilton, Jake Paul, and many more.
Media inquiries: press@passes.com
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