Hundreds of young fans and their parents overwhelmed the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday as they flocked to the launch of 15-year-old YouTube personality Salish Matter’s new makeup line, Sincerely Yours, leaving many attendees disappointed and organizers struggling to control the crowd.
Attendees posted video and images on TikTok and Instagram showing large, tightly packed groups and chaotic scenes around the mall’s event area. Many said the event became ‘‘super unorganized, severely crowded,’’ and several parents and teenagers reported being jostled and unable to see the stage despite buying tickets.
Some who traveled to the mall said they arrived in the early hours — one parent said they reached the venue as early as 3 a.m. — after promotional materials and posts suggested early arrivals could secure prizes or closer access to the star. Attendees said the event promotion promised that the first 100 in line would win "either a meet and..." according to social media posts and comments from those at the scene. Several people who waited for hours said they ultimately did not get to meet Matter or see her clearly.
Multiple attendees posted complaints online that Matter, who is 15, appeared on stage for roughly 30 minutes. One person in a clip posted to social media said, "I was getting pushed around so much and I couldn't see the stage it was so unorganized and they should've had a limit on people." Another attendee said they had bought tickets "for absolutely nothing... never again."
The American Dream Mall is a large retail and entertainment complex that hosts celebrity appearances and product launches that can draw sizable crowds. The Sincerely Yours launch continued a trend of youth-oriented influencers promoting branded products through live events and in-person meet-and-greets, which have at times produced logistical challenges when attendance exceeds venue capacity or crowd-control measures prove insufficient.
Representatives for Matter and the event’s promoters did not immediately appear in videos to address the complaints seen online, and there was no immediate public statement posted on the star’s official channels in response to the social media outcry as of Saturday night. Mall staff and security are visible in some clips attempting to manage the crowd, but attendees said the measures were inadequate given the number of people on site.
The widespread sharing of footage and testimonials on social platforms highlighted safety concerns and frustrations among families who traveled long distances or spent significant time waiting. Several parents and teens said they expected clearer crowd management and more reliable assurance that promotional promises, such as meet-and-greets for early arrivals, would be honored.
The incident raised questions about planning and capacity at influencer-driven retail events and underscored the logistical demands of coordinating high-profile appearances aimed at younger audiences. As of late Saturday, the episode remained a subject of discussion on social media, with attendees sharing their experiences and footage from the event.