Shivangi Sinha
The Project X Haren party quickly spiraled into chaos and became one of the most infamous events in Dutch social media history. It all began when Merthe Weusthuis created a Facebook invitation for her 16th birthday party, and it began gaining massive attention. Alarmed, she deleted it, but by then, the momentum had taken hold. Another user, Jorik Clarck, created a new event modeled after the original, which exploded far beyond Merthe’s initial invite. In Netflix’s ‘Trainwreck: The Real Project X,’ Jorik reflects on the events and addresses the part he played. He also shared how he views the situation years later.
Jorik Clarck Made a Separate Invitation For Project X Haren, But Later Deleted It
Jorik Clarck was around 18 when he stumbled upon the Facebook invitation created by Merthe Weusthuis for her 16th birthday party. Although he didn’t know her personally, the overwhelming public interest caught his attention. Thousands of people were responding, and Jorik, like many others, was excited by the unexpected buzz. However, when he returned to his computer after a quick meal, he discovered that the event had been deleted. It felt anticlimactic to him, like the sudden end of something that had sparked genuine excitement, so he decided to create a new event himself. Jorik made a copycat invite for a surprise birthday party for Merthe at her residence and watched in amazement as it exploded in popularity.
Within no time, tens of thousands of people had expressed interest. Merthe reached out to him directly, and their text exchange grew heated. Still, Jorik admitted he didn’t take it too seriously at the time, thinking it was all just in good fun. But reality hit when he received a phone call from an unknown number. On the line was Merthe’s father, who sternly told him that strangers were walking into their yard and taking photos of the family through the windows. That moment shifted Jorik’s perspective. Concerned for the family’s safety, he took the invitation down. But by then, it was too late. The buzz had already taken on a life of its own. Soon after, an anonymous user created yet another event that was styled like Jorik’s, and the frenzy reignited. On September 21, 2012, thousands of teenagers descended on Haren, causing chaos and property damage.
Jorik Clarck Met Merthe Weusthuis a Few Years After the Incident
In the aftermath of Project X Haren, Jorik Clarck admitted that seeing the news coverage made him feel genuinely remorseful about the role he had played in escalating the situation. He later recalled that, a few years after the incident, he unexpectedly saw Merthe Weusthuis at a party and recognized her immediately. Though he initially avoided approaching her out of shame, she recognized him too and asked if he was the person she thought he was. When he said yes, she simply told him that it was all in the past and chalked it up to them being “young and stupid.” That brief exchange brought him some closure. Since then, Jorik has maintained a low public profile and has chosen to keep his life largely private. He seems to have moved on quietly and has never tried to revisit or capitalize on the incident. As of today, Jorik prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
Read More: Merthe Weusthuis: Where is the Project X Haren Birthday Girl Now?
