He wasn\u2019t always this kind.<\/p>\n
The NFL has named mega-popular creator Dhar Mann as the league\u2019s \u201cChief Kindness Officer,\u201d as well as \u201cCreator of the Week\u201d leading up to Super Bowl 2026.<\/p>\n
Mann \u2014 who\u2019s known for his scripted wholesome and kind-hearted content that\u2019s garnered billions of views \u2014 has 26 million YouTube subscribers, 16 million TikTok followers and 4 million Instagram followers. It his online success comes after he dealt with legal issues over a decade ago, stemming from felony fraud charges.<\/p>\n
The news, which was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, comes after Fox Entertainment announced<\/a> a multi-year deal with\u00a0Dhar Mann Studios, one of the largest creator-led studios in Los Angeles and founded by Mann, for a series of original scripted vertical-video shows Monday.<\/p>\n Mann posted a promotional TikTok for his new role with the NFL, spoofing Super Bowl moments and turning them into acts of kindness. <\/p>\n \u201cInstead of a halftime show, we\u2019re gonna do a hug time show,\u201d Mann says in the video after receiving his \u201cChief Kindness Officer\u201d badge at the NFL headquarters. <\/p>\n \u201cHow about instead of throwing these [penalty] flags, we just present them nicely.\u201d <\/p>\n The 41-year-old entrepreneur annually earns ten figures from Google AdSense, and his studio has extensive brand partnerships, including Meta and Universal, according to Forbes. <\/p>\n In 2025, Mann was ranked the No. 2 top creator by Forbes and made the Time 100 top creators list.<\/p>\n Dhar Mann at YouTube BrandCast 2025 held at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center on May 14, 2025 in New York. Variety via Getty Images<\/p>\n In 2011, Mann pled \u201cno contest\u201d to five felony counts of defrauding the city of Oakland, which accused him of fraudulently pocketing more than $44,000 he\u2019d received from city redevelopment grants, according to The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prosecutors reportedly reduced the charges from 13 to five felony counts. He was fined\u00a0$37,500 and faced no jail time.<\/p>\n Mann told\u00a0The New York Times\u00a0in 2021 that the conviction was later\u00a0expunged.<\/p>\n Dhar Mann and his wife Laura Avila attend the Nominees Night: An Official Golden Week Event Hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and Spotify at The Lot at Formosa on Jan. 8, 2026. Getty Images<\/p>\n Mann\u2019s first initiative at Super Bowl 2026 will be a \u201cBe Kind to Your Rival\u201d social campaign, encouraging fans to say nice things about opposing teams and fanbases. <\/p>\n For every qualifying post using\u00a0#KindnessWinsBig, Mann will donate $1 to St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital\u00a0(up to $100,000),\u00a0a charitable partner of the NFL since 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Lombardi Trophy. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The NFL is putting an emphasis on creators at the big game \u2014 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif. \u2014 with more than 160 creators across various social platforms set to film content during Super Bowl Week.<\/p>\n Mann is open about his past hard times and hitting \u201crock bottom\u201d at the age of 30<\/a> \u2014 broke, two weeks from eviction, and depressed over a \u201cdifficult breakup.\u201d <\/p>\n He eventually turned his life around with the help of meditation and prayer, and began posting motivational videos in 2018. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I created my first video, it was of me talking in front of a camera for five minutes offering my \u2018followers\u2019 (a.k.a., my few hundred friends on Facebook) motivational advice,\u201d Mann told Business Insider<\/a> in a 2020 interview. \u201cIt took me over 100 takes to record that video, and it ultimately did nothing.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 Over time, I realized that not only was I not that good at telling motivational stories in front of camera, but also I didn\u2019t enjoy it. Instead of giving up, I found a new strategy that worked for me: I decided to use family and friends as \u2018actors\u2019 in my videos to tell the stories I wanted to share, and I would just come in at the end to summarize the lesson to be learned. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I adjusted my style of content to this new format, 168 videos later, my total views exploded to over four billion.<\/p>\n Mann and his wife Laura Avila \u2014 who is an influencer, actress and fashion designer \u2014 have two daughters together.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter having gone through so many hard times, I made it my purpose to help others that might be similarly struggling like how I was,\u201d Mann says<\/a> on his website.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I started making videos. And that\u2019s how I\u2019m able to create such relatable content that feels like it hits home. Because I\u2019ve been there. I\u2019ve experienced the hard times. And I use that as inspiration to help you overcome yours too.\u201d <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t