FYRE Festival 2’s Billy McFarland is “mentally ill” and “delusional” with a belief that he has “special talents,” his lawyer has claimed in past filings.
The Fyre Festival fraudster, who is currently facing a barrage of criticism and allegations that the second iteration of the doomed event is destined for failure again, had two doctors weighing in on his mental state ahead of his sentencing on several fraud charges back in 2018.
The filings appear newly relevant as Fyre Festival 2 is plagued by uncertainty and confusion just under two months before it’s scheduled to take place.
In the sentencing submission from his legal team for crimes he committed in his pursuit of the first Fyre Festival, they plead for a lighter sentence for their client.
In making their case, the firm handling McFarland hired two mental health professionals who evaluated him.
A psychologist identified as Dr. Cheryl Paradis “evaluated Billy’s mental health and its relationship to the offense conduct,” according to the filing.
Paradis’ report “paints a powerful picture of the impact that Billy’s mental health issues have had on his conduct” per the filing.
It also said that McFarland’s diagnostic test scores “strongly indicated” that he suffers from unspecified bipolar related disorder.
Paradis ruled out antisocial personality disorder, according to her submission, but she noted that McFarland’s behavior was partly “fueled by a substantial pattern of severe alcohol abuse, perhaps as a form of self-medication for his Bipolar Related Disorder.”
Part of Paradis’ diagnosis of McFarland’s bipolar related disorder was a computer-scored personality assessment inventory that showed an unusually high level of mania.
McFarland “describes significant problems frequently associated with aspects of a manic episode at a level of severity that is uncommon even in clinical samples,” Paradis wrote.
“He is probably quite impulsive and unusually energetic, and most likely meets diagnostic criteria for a manic or hypomanic episode . . . . He is probably involved in these activities in an overcommitted and disorganized manner, and he may experience his thought processes as being accelerated.”
Billy McFarland’s $1.1 million Fyre Festival 2 ticket is ‘the perfect con,’ felon’s ex-staffer says
Paradis further noted that McFarland is “marked by inflated self-esteem or grandiosity that may range from beliefs of having exceptionally high levels of common skills to delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and fortune.”
“His relationships with others are probably under stress due to his frustration with the inability or unwillingness of those around him to keep up with his plans and possibly unrealistic ideas,” she wrote.
The filing spotlighted the fact that McFarland pleaded guilty and willingly accepted his responsibility in the Fyre Festival disaster while noting all his crimes were non-violent.
McFarland was ultimately sentenced to six years in federal prison on October 11, 2018, for wire fraud and other related crimes for the first iteration of Fyre Festival.
FYRE Festival & Billy McFarland
The inaugural FYRE Festival remains one of the most infamous event disasters in history.
Attendees were left devastated after spending tens of thousands of dollars to attend the event, only to arrive on an island in the Bahamas lacking food, water, and accommodation- not to mention the musical acts all pulled out at the last minute.
The debacle was magnified by social media, with disgruntled influencers sharing their outrage after stepping onto Great Exuma expecting the party of a lifetime.
Instead of the promised luxury villas, festival-goers were greeted by re-purposed emergency FEMA tents.
Enticed by the allure of world-class cuisine, ticket holders found themselves served cold cheese sandwiches in foam containers.
Despite the spectacular failure, Billy exclusively told The U.S. Sun in an interview that he has his reasons for attempting the event a second time.
Billy said: “This is the most tangible way to repay the $26 million that I owe, and having real partners gives an opportunity in the next five to seven years, to actually pay back that $26 million.
“And unfortunately, no one’s offering me $26 million to work somewhere else.”
The convicted felon, who faced charges for misleading his investors, went on to say he is taking full advantage of his notoriety.
“We are literally the most talked about music festival in the world. We’ve had three times as many mentioned this Coachella, which is in second place and there’s a huge drop-off after that.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to steer that ship into the storm and embrace everything that’s happened.”
FYRE FESTIVAL 2
The sequel event, which was originally slated to happen in Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun, has since been moved to Playa del Carmen, about an hour south.
But officials there last week denied knowledge of any Fyre-related festivities taking place in their city, casting doubt on the event happening at all.
The event’s location has so far changed twice since being announced.
Meanwhile, a ticket obtained by The U.S. Sun for the event listed the date as December 6, 2024, but it has been pushed back several times since then.
As of today, the event is slated to go on from May 30 through June 2, 2025 – just weeks away.
In addition to his Fyre Festival drama, McFarland also owes the government nearly $35 million in overdue taxes and restitution to his past victims, The U.S. Sun previously reported.
In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison on fraud charges for his role in the original Fyre Festival disaster, which saw ticketholders stranded with no lodging or concert after they were promised a major luxury event in the Bahamas.
