Derek Chadwick quits gay dating app Goose less than two months after launch: “Staying didn’t feel right”
“My vision for where this should go and the direction the company is going aren't the same thing anymore.”
Mark
New gay dating app and social platform Goose launched to much fanfare in June. It helped that Derek Chadwick was the face of the platform.
The hunky actor-model promoted the app on his social media. Goose promises to foster connections between gay men that go beyond hook-ups and exchanging d-ck pics. It bills itself as the “anti-algorithm gay dating and lifestyle platform.”
Chadwick’s endorsement ensured the app gained plenty of attention. Goose also featured Chadwick prominently on its social media.
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It therefore comes as something of a surprise that Chadwick has unexpectedly stepped away from the app.
“No longer involved with Goose in any capacity”
Chadwick posted the following statement on Instagram yesterday.
“Some personal news. As of last week, I’ve stepped away from Goose.”
He continued, “This was not a decision I made lightly. Building something for our community has been one of the most meaningful things I’ve gotten to do, and I’m proud to have helped push that forward. Tens of thousands of you showed up in a matter of weeks. That was you, not me, and I’ll never not be grateful for it.
“Where I landed is that my vision for where this should go and the direction the company is going aren’t the same thing anymore. When my name and my face are on something, I want to be able to stand behind all of it, fully. As that stopped being true, staying didn’t feel right.
“Although I’m no longer involved with Goose in any capacity, I wish the team the best – there are great people over there working incredibly hard to make Goose special.
“To everyone who joined, who waved, who sent me a message, who told me they actually made a friend on there, thank you. That was always the whole point for me, and it still is. I’m not done building for us.”
Goose controversy
It’s unclear what has led to the split between Chadwick and Goose. The app has experienced some controversy since launching. In July, Wired ran an article alleging that AI-created influencers on Instagram were sending direct messages to other users, inviting them to join Goose.
The messages were all similar, informing followers, “You’re receiving this because you’re exactly the type of person we’re building this for,” accompanied by a code for an invite to a “members only community” (i.e., Goose).
In a statement to Queerty at the time, Chadwick said, “Goose is disrupting the gay app space by creating a place where real people can make real friends, dates, and community – our team hand-picked every person who received an invite to our app and we are proud of the community we are building. We work 24/7 to keep our app safe and free of the fake profiles that have soured other platforms. Clearly our competitors are taking notice.”
That didn’t actually address the allegations within the Wired article. There was no suggestion of AI fakery on Goose itself, just in the potential use of AI-generated influencers promoting Goose on Instagram.
Besides Chadwick, Goose was co-created by BeReal growth and community manager David Aliagas.
Goose has not publicly commented on Chadwick’s departure statement via its social media accounts. Queerty has reached out to the company for comment.
UPDATE
In a statement to Queerty, a spokesperson for Goose said, “As Goose enters its next phase of growth, Derek Chadwick has stepped away from his role as Co-Founder. We are grateful for Derek’s leadership and vision that he has brought to the company and the foundation he has helped build. Goose remains focused on its long-term strategy of building a trusted community and we will share further leadership updates when appropriate.”
Related
Derek Chadwick responds to accusations Goose app used AI Instagram accounts to tempt guys
Model and actor Derek Chadwick launched Goose last month as an antidote to Grindr.
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