Hamish Harding’s embattled stepson was asked by mom to delete Blink-182 post amid family’s ‘nightmare’

Cardi B isn’t the only person to think that Brian Szasz probably hasn’t shown the best judgment when posting on social media about his family’s ordeal, after his British billionaire stepfather Hamish Harding went missing with four others while plunging to the depths of the North Atlantic in a van-sized submersible to explore the wreckage of Titanic.

Szasz admitted on Facebook that his mother, Linda Harding, asked him remove his original “tone-deaf” Facebook post about attending Blink-182’s concert Monday night — as global attention turned to efforts to find and rescue Hamish Harding and the other passengers of the Titan submersible as their oxygen was running out. Unfortunately for Linda Harding, her son’s Blink-182 post was the first of many this week to bring unwanted attention to him and to his troubled past.

The uproar over Szasz’s posts led to his Twitter account going silent. But a defiant Szasz has stayed on social media in other ways. On Wednesday, he posted an Instagram Story video, in which he tried to explain some of his posts, including his online flirtation with an OnlyFans model who offered to comfort him by performing a sex act. He said that he and his family are experiencing an “(expletive) nightmare … especially what Hamish is going through down there.” Szasz, a self-described audio engineer, furthermore said he hasn’t slept in days and that he’s “obviously just too worried about my mom and the situation so I’m not rocking out or whatever they’re trying to accuse me of doing.”

While we wait for news on the OceanGate #Titan search and rescue, here’s an update from Brian Szasz, stepson of the missing billionaire who attended a blink 182 concert during this ordeal. Absolutely electric stuff pic.twitter.com/1Ba7KpxI3q

— Tucker Carlson Sucks (@Absolute_Toast) June 22, 2023

But as much as Szasz said the situation is “not about me,” he’s brought an onslaught of attention to himself and his troubled past, with news outlets learning, among other things, that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 15, according to Us Weekly. His attorneys cited his Asperger’s as a factor in his behavior in a 2021 case in which he was detained for posting “threatening tweets to women in the rave community,” as the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Being socially stunted, Mr. Szasz would often find friendships online,” said a court filing, obtained by Us Weekly. “During a particular exchange a heated discussion ensued that resulted in physical threats made by all involved parties.”

A year after his detainment, Szasz filed a lawsuit against San Diego County alleging several Vista Detention Facility workers of “negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, battery,” the Los Angeles Times reported. Szasz also claimed he was denied access to medication he needed to treat his type 1 diabetes, Us Weekly said. As of May, the case is still pending.

More than a decade earlier, Szasz was arrested in 2007 on two counts of armed robbery after he and another suspect allegedly robbed two convenience stores and stole several hundred dollars along with 14 cartons of cigarettes, Us Weekly said, citing a San Diego Union report. Szasz and the other suspect were caught after an oncoming train hit their car. No one was injured in the crash.

In his Instagram Story video, Szasz claimed that a legal situation prevented him from being closer to the rescue mission on the East Coast, but he did not explain what the legal situation involved, the New York Post reported.

“Believe it or not, I have about $100 to my name,” Szasz said. “I can’t go out to the ocean. I have a legal situation keeping me here as well. I can’t get on a flight. I don’t have a passport.”

While voicing anger at people and other “outside forces” that were supposedly trying to make the story about him, Szasz has thrust himself into the narrative about the fate of the Titan passengers. His controversial posts started with a photo he shared of himself outside the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, where Blink-182 was to perform.

“It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it’s my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!” said Szasz.

An hour earlier, Szasz posted a link to a news story that confirmed that his stepfather, a veteran explorer, was on the submersible. “Hamish Harding, my stepfather, has gone missing on submarine,” Szasz wrote. “Thoughts and prayers that the rescue mission will be successful.”

Szasz subsequently said on Facebook that his mother asked him to take down the Blink-182 post and other related posts “for privacy” — but not before the internet caught wind of it. Cardi B soon jumped into the fray, slamming Szasz for attending the show while his stepfather was still missing.

“People are like, ‘What is he supposed to do? Be sad at the house? Is he supposed to go look for him himself?’” the rapper asked in an Instagram Story video on Tuesday, June 20. “Yes. You’re supposed to be at the house sad. You’re supposed to be crying for me. You’re supposed to be right next to the phone waiting to hear any updates.”

Stepson to British billionaire trapped in the Titanic tour submarine Brian Szasz gives his facts.

Brian goes off on Cardi B and other critics bashing him for attending Blink 182 concert and engaging OnlyFans models on Twitter while his step dad is trapped in the missing Titan… pic.twitter.com/rVlmbPGyxm

— New Money Keli (@NewMoneyKeli) June 22, 2023

Cardi B followed up on Twitter by referring to Szasz’s online flirtation with OnlyFans model Brea on Twitter; he had responded enthusiastically to her sharing a photo of herself in a thong. The rapper blasted him for his exchange with the model “while the world is praying for these people in the submarine.” She also accused him of “looking for clout,” saying “nobody knew who you were until you said that was ya stepdad!!!”

“This is why people hate you spoiled brat billionaires yall soo desensitize,” Cardi B also said.

Cardi B Claps Back At Missing Submarine Passenger’s Stepson Brian Szasz #cardib #titanicsubmarine #submarine #oceangate #HamishHarding #riristea #rivetsoro pic.twitter.com/flkBX8U4Vu

— Rivet Soro (@Rivet_Soro) June 21, 2023

Szasz fired back at Cardi B’s remarks, saying that she’s the one trying to use his family’s ordeal to gain attention because her own career is in trouble.

“Her career is in such turmoil she needs clout off other people’s suffering. Tries to use the situation to exploit,” Szasz said on Instagram Story. “They’re not feeling sorry that my mom has to take care of two kids. Not really giving a (expletive) that my stepdad is 99 percent chance he’s dead. That doesn’t matter. Doesn’t care how we feel.”

Szasz also explained that he responded affirmatively to the post by OnlyFans model Brea by saying that he’s had friendly interactions with her before on Twitter. “We have a playful back-and-forth,” he said. “She wished me well! She wished my family well.”

With regard to Szasz’s mother, Linda Harding indeed has two teenage sons with Harding, Rory and Giles, Hello magazine reported.

While Szasz has been all over social media this week, his mother and other members of Harding’s family have mostly remained silent. Harding’s cousin Kathleen Cosnett expressed dismay to The Telegraph that OceanGate Explorations, the company that launched the Titan, took “far too long” — eight hours — to contact authorities after losing contact with the submersible. Meanwhile, Little is known about Linda Harding, other than that she, Rory and Giles live in Dubai, where Harding’s business, Action Group, is based.

This story has been updated.