The first Russian vlogger, who became a superstar while still a teenager, decided to have an extremely candid conversation after years of obscurity. In an interview with Ksenia Sobchak Roma Zhelud admitted that Poverty drove him to sell intimate photos and casino advertisements, and his drug addiction turned his life into "Synthetic Hell" with 6,000 trips to pick up "stashes". Today, he is trying to rediscover himself and reflects on "celibacy", his love for Russia, and explains why he no longer seeks approval from his former friends in show business.
Attitudes Toward Rumors About Sexual Orientation
Ksenia Sobchak reminded Roma of some comments he made ten years ago. In 2013, at the height of his popularity, he poked fun at the stereotypes about himself: “Since I’m making a video, that means I’m gay.” In this recent interview, Roma emphasized that he has always been interested in girls and is quite picky when it comes to choosing a partner. He also mentioned that he is currently in a state of “celibacy” (abstinence), which, according to him, sometimes affects his behavior on social media. At the same time, he admitted that he is physically attracted to Anastasia Volochkova, describing her as sexy and a very kind person.
Adult photos and "private channels"
The topic of selling explicit content became one of the most contentious points in the conversation. Solchak asked Roma directly about selling “18+ photos.” Roma admitted that About six years ago, he did indeed have a private Telegram channel, but its contents were more modest than the rumors had suggested.
According to him, the photos showed him “wearing nothing but underwear at most,” and he never posted pictures of himself without clothes. Roma attributed this to extreme financial hardship: “To buy myself some chips and a Coke.” At the moment, he denies having any active porn channels, although he admits that he continues to make money from video greetings, which can cost up to 100,000 rubles.
Money and Casino Advertising
The artist's financial situation remains unstable. Roma candidly explained that, due to a lack of other sources of income, he had to advertise online casinos.
- He admitted that he did it when he literally “had nothing to eat.”
- For each promotional post, he earned about 150,000–200,000 rubles, which was enough to support him for two months.
- Despite this, he is proud that never agreed to advertise drug stores, even when he was offered millions to do so.
The Struggle for Life
The interview reveals the tragic side of the blogger’s life: he admitted to making 6,000 trips to pick up “stashes” and to a severe addiction to synthetic drugs that nearly cost him his life. Appearing on the reality show “Stars on an IV” was not only a way for him to earn money (his fee was just under 4 million rubles), but also an attempt to stay sober and remind his audience of who he is.
Roma Zhelud is currently performing DJ sets, for which he charges about 150,000 rubles, and dreams of returning to music as he tries to finally overcome his inner demons.
0 comments
Enter your email — we’ll send you a one-time code. No passwords or accounts.
Code sent to
If the email doesn't appear in your inbox within a few minutes, check your spam, junk, or promotions folder, as some email services may mistakenly place automated messages there