Rebecca Black, 'Friday' Singer, Receiving Death Threats
Thirteen-year-old singer has recieved threats by phone, e-mail.
April 21, 2011— -- It's the YouTube sensation people love to hate: Rebecca Black's song that went viral, "Friday". So much so that the 13-year-old singer has received death threats.
The threats, one by email, one by phone, came shortly after the release of her video in February, demanding she pull the song from YouTube "or else."
"We consider these threats to be death threats, and we certainly take these things very seriously," said Sgt. Rick Martinez of the Anaheim, Calif., Police Department.
Black said in an interview with ABC News' Andrea Canning last month that she was shocked at the mean things people were saying.
"The meanest thing I read was I hope you cut yourself and I hope you get a eating disorder so you'll look pretty," Black said.
Her song and the accompanying video has inspired strong feelings, both positive and negative, and dozens of parodies. Comedian Steven Colbert performed his own version on the NBC series, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."
The video has received more than 112 million views since it was posted to YouTube on Feb. 10. Of them, some 300,000 "liked" it, but more than 2 million "disliked" it.
Some of the comments are violent too: for instance, one suggests Black "go die in a hole."
"It's so shocking to me having all these people that don't even know who I am," Black said, adding she didn't know how people "can say such nasty things."
Although the Anaheim police acknowledge the death threats may just be mean-spirited snipes, authorities said they are taking it seriously.
"Specifically they mention that they were going to take her life," Martinez said, "and that's where you have to draw the line."