Honestly, the internet has a really short memory. One minute everyone is losing their minds over a celebrity scandal, and the next, we’ve moved on to the next viral dance or crypto crash. But if you were around in early 2018, you probably remember when the Blac Chyna and Mechie sextape basically broke the celebrity gossip cycle. It wasn't just a "leak"—it was a messy, legally complicated disaster that dragged in the LAPD, high-profile lawyers, and even the Kardashian family shadow.
Most people think these things are just "stunts" to stay relevant. You’ve heard the theories: "She leaked it herself for the clout." But if you actually look at what went down with Chyna (real name Angela White) and her ex-boyfriend Mechie, the reality is way more intense than a simple PR play. It was a case of digital betrayal that actually had some pretty serious legal consequences in California.
The Viral Moment Nobody Actually Asked For
It was a Monday in February 2018 when a roughly minute-long clip started circulating on Twitter. The video was... well, it was graphic. It featured Chyna and a guy who was later identified as Mechie (an R&B singer and rapper whose real name is Demetrius Harris).
The backlash was instant.
Chyna’s attorney at the time, Walter Mosley, didn't hold back. He went on Instagram and called the whole thing a "criminal matter." He wasn't just talking about the gossip; he was talking about revenge porn. In California, sharing sexually explicit photos or videos of someone without their consent is a straight-up crime.
Who is Mechie, anyway?
If you weren't following the "Rob & Chyna" fallout, Mechie sort of came out of nowhere for the general public. He and Chyna dated for a few months in 2017 after her very public and very explosive split from Rob Kardashian.
- The Connection: They met shortly after the Rob drama peaked.
- The Video Origin: Mechie eventually admitted to The Shade Room that he was the guy in the video.
- The Disclaimer: He was adamant that he didn't leak it. According to him, the video was filmed on Chyna’s own phone, and he never even had a copy of it.
The "Who Done It" Mystery
This is where things get kinda weird. Chyna’s team claimed her phone wasn't stolen. If the video was on her phone, and she didn't leak it, and Mechie didn't have a copy... how did it get to an "anonymous" Twitter account?
There were two main camps of thought back then:
- The Cynics: They claimed Chyna did it herself to stay in the headlines, especially since her reality show with Rob had been axed.
- The Legal Team: They argued someone hacked her or accessed her cloud storage.
Lisa Bloom, another high-profile lawyer who represented Chyna, was vocal about the "slut-shaming" culture surrounding the leak. She pointed out that even if someone knows they are being recorded, they still have the right to decide if that video goes public. That’s a distinction a lot of people miss. Consent to film is not consent to distribute.
Why the Blac Chyna and Mechie Sextape Was Part of a Bigger War
You can't talk about this tape without talking about Rob Kardashian. Just a few months before the Mechie leak, Rob had his own social media meltdown where he posted explicit, non-consensual photos of Chyna on Instagram.
👉 See also: Morena Baccarin Sex Tape: What Really Happened With Those Online Rumors
That was a huge turning point.
Chyna sued Rob for revenge porn, and that legal battle dragged on for years. In fact, it didn't get settled until June 2022—literally hours before they were supposed to go to trial. Because Chyna was already in the middle of a massive legal war with the Kardashians over the cancellation of her show and the previous photo leaks, the Mechie video felt like gasoline on a fire.
The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division even got involved to investigate the source of the Mechie video. It shows you how seriously the authorities started taking these "celebrity leaks" once revenge porn laws started getting some actual teeth.
The Fallout: Moving Past the Scandal
Since the 2018-2022 era of constant lawsuits, Blac Chyna has undergone a pretty massive personal transformation. She’s been open about getting her fillers removed, returning to her birth name (Angela), and focusing on her fitness brand and her kids, King and Dream.
📖 Related: Lyssa Chapman: What Really Happened to Baby Lyssa From Dog the Bounty Hunter
Mechie, on the other hand, stayed in the reality TV lane for a bit, appearing on MTV’s Ex on the Beach. He’s consistently maintained that the leak actually hurt his career, causing him to lose sponsorships and investors who didn't want to be associated with the "messiness."
What we can learn from this mess
- Digital footprints are forever: Even if a video is deleted, the "cloud" or a quick screen-record can make it immortal.
- The Law is catching up: The days of "leaked" tapes being a joke are over; people are actually facing jail time and massive civil settlements for this now.
- Verify the source: Most "leaks" are actually thefts or privacy violations.
If you're ever in a situation where private content of yours is shared without your permission, don't just "wait for it to blow over." You should immediately document the posts, contact the platforms to have them removed under their non-consensual sexual imagery (NCII) policies, and talk to a legal professional. The Blac Chyna and Mechie sextape situation proved that even with the best lawyers in the world, the emotional and professional damage is hard to undo.
The best move is always to keep the "private" stuff strictly offline. Sounds simple, but in the heat of the moment, people forget that a phone is basically a broadcast tower.