Aubrey Smalls' Appearance on H3
Background
- In July 2022, during an episode of "Off the Rails," Ethan confronted comedian Jimmie Lee over an Instagram post where Jimmie used a derogatory term for people with dwarfism.
- Aubrey Smalls, an actor, documentary filmmaker, and activist with dwarfism who watched the podcast, posted to the H3 subreddit asking to discuss Jimmie's comments on the show.[1]
- As part of a planned intervention, Jimmie was challenged on his material. Aubrey participated in a prerecorded episode with Ethan's father, Gary Klein, called "Elderlies #1," published on August 1, 2022.
Claim
On December 26, 2024(over two years later) Aubrey posted to TikTok claiming:
- He was brought on to educate but was instead used for a comedic bit.
- He was brought in to confront Jimmie without warning.
- The H3 crew was laughing at him the entire time.
Truth
- The Intervention Was Planned With Aubrey: The intervention was a planned segment. Aubrey was introduced after a montage of Jimmie's offensive comments about people with dwarfism was shown.[2][3] Contrary to his claim of being blindsided, an email exchange between Aubrey and producer Dan, revealed by Ethan in 2025, shows Aubrey was fully aware of the plan and had agreed to it beforehand.[5]
- Aubrey Educated, Jimmie Agreed to Change: Aubrey used the opportunity to educate Jimmie and Gary about people with dwarfism. Following the conversation, Jimmie agreed to stop making those offensive jokes.[4]
- Positive Post-Show Feedback: After the "Elderlies" episode aired:
- Aubrey made a now-deleted Reddit post thanking Ethan, the crew, and everyone for being so welcoming and respectful.[6]
- In an email, Dan thanked Aubrey and hoped it wasn't too much. Aubrey replied that it was an honor and expressed a desire to return.[7]
- Aubrey appeared on a subsequent show ("H3TV #45") to debrief. He called the conversation with Jimmie and Gary "the easiest thing" compared to his online haters.[8][9]
- He praised Ethan, saying "you are the real 'G' for having a person with dwarfism on H3" and mentioned he was a Teddy Fresh fan.[10]
- Crew's Reaction: Show researcher Olivia addressed the allegation of laughter, stating that any laughter from the crew would have been directed at Jimmie's behavior, not at Aubrey. The episode itself shows no evidence of laughing at him.[11]
- Timing of Allegations: Aubrey's 2024 TikTok allegations surfaced over two years later, while the H3 show was on a planned two-week break. Ethan suggested the timing was motivated by a desire to "cash in on the H3 hate on TikTok" for views and engagement.[12][13]
Conclusion
The intervention was conducted in good faith to confront prejudice against people with dwarfism. Aubrey's claims of being blindsided and used were directly contradicted by his own emails agreeing to the plan. His claim of being laughed at is unsupported by the episode footage and contradicted by crew members. His initial positive comments and desire to return further undermine the allegations made over two years later.