Fans of Lia Marie Johnson are worried about the former star of "Kids React" after she appeared to kiss someone that looked like her music producer she started working with as a child during an Instagram Live while seemingly intoxicated.

Johnson, now 23, first rose to prominence on YouTube in viral "Kids React" videos produced by Fine Bros Entertainment. She later began releasing music produced by Golden Track Recording Studios owner Steven Wetherbee.

Fans think the older man in Johnson's disturbing January 2 livestream is Wetherbee, and the man appears to start kissing her before realizing she is filming their encounter, at which point he tells her to turn the stream off because "it will affect my work."

Wetherbee has professional ties to Johnson dating back to 2012, when she was as young as 15, and a photo he took of her when she was 17 appeared in Tiger Beat magazine.

After concern for Johnson started gaining traction on social media, Wetherbee deleted his social media profiles and professional photography website.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Fans of Lia Marie Johnson, the social media star who first appeared in "Kids React" videos at age 14, are worried that the now-23-year-old is in danger. After disappearing from YouTube in May 2018, the singer has reappeared in erratic Instagram Live videos that many viewers believe show Johnson under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

On January 2, Johnson went Live, appearing intoxicated. She also drank wine during the video. While streaming, a man's voice could be heard, and while he first remained offscreen, Johnson appeared to begin kissing him while the man reached around her and grabbed her neck.

The man then repeatedly asked Johnson if she was on Instagram, which she first denied. He made a comment about "hijacking" her phone to "get back to us," then after he realized Johnson was livestreaming, his face briefly appeared on-camera before he appeared to disable the video.

"Are you on Instagram? No you're not, you can't be on Instagram," the man asked before taking Johnson's phone. "Are you really on Instagram? Because that would be bad."

In a later Instagram Live that evening, Johnson angrily told fans not to send police to her address, the same man asks Johnson to turn it off and says "Lia, I need this to not go out because it will affect my work."

Based off the man's voice and the brief flashes of him onscreen, fans believe he is Steven Wetherbee, a music producer, photographer, and owner of Golden Track Recording Studios. Wetherbee has been working with Johnson since at least 2012, when she was 15, and produced at least one of her songs.

After fans began to post about the man being Wetherbee, the producer deactivated his social media profiles and professional websites. Insider reached out to Wetherbee on LinkedIn and he responded to the message but did not provide any additional information by the time of publication.

Fans of Johnson are worried about her mental health and Wetherbee's influence on her

Johnson in 2016 at Variety's Power of Young Hollywood event, Wetherbee Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Discogs/Steve Wetherbee

Screenshots of his professional photography Instagram account from before he deactivated it include a post from 2014 that says a photograph he took of Johnson, then 17, appeared in Tiger Beat magazine.

Johnson and Wetherbee still appear to be working together professionally. Her most recent music release was the song "Moonflower" in November 2019, and she thanked Wetherbee on Instagram for producing the song.

Drama and stan accounts compiled viral threads of information about Johnson's recent Instagram Live appearances and her relationship with Wetherbee, who many fear may have been grooming Johnson since she was a minor — though those claims are unsubstantiated beyond their apparent romantic relationship now, and their previous association while Johnson was a minor.

Fans are also worried that Johnson may be abusing drugs or alcohol, or facing mental health issues, since her behavior appears erratic in livestreams. Johnson has also talked about suicide and having schizophrenia during previous livestreams.

Some people who watched Johnson's livestream on January 2 apparently called police for a wellness check, which Johnson responded to angrily. She said that police "showed up, and detained me, put cuffs off my hands."

"There's no reason to worry," Johnson said in the follow-up Instagram Live. "I'm okay. I just want to be left alone."

Johnson's management didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.