Jay Slater's friend has fired back at the "drug mule" conspiracy theories.
Brad Hargreaves was on vacation in Tenerife with the 19-year-old before he went missing on June 17.
On June 16, Slater attended a rave with friends Lucy Mae Law and Hargreaves at Papagayo nightclub during the NRG music festival.
The teen decided to stay out with two British men he had met at the resort of Playa de las Américas instead of going back to his shared accommodation with his pals.
He reportedly took a car journey with the men to their Airbnb, located 19 miles away from the beach club in the village of Masca. The farmhouse, named Casa Abuela Tina, was where Slater was last seen.
The following morning, Slater called Lucy to say he was about to begin a 10-hour walk back to where they were staying.
He also told her that he was lost and thirsty and that his phone battery was critically low. That was the last time she heard from him.
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In the almost three weeks since Slater vanished, the internet has been awash with baseless conspiracy theories about what happened to him before he went missing.
Hargreaves has since been the target of abuse by online trolls. He has now addressed the hateful comments he's received on social media, writing: “Thinkin' I’m involved in it all is beyond me," as reported by The Sun.
“We’ve been mates for years, came on our first holiday together and unfortunately this has happened," he continued. "We ain’t drug mules or whatever.... people need to know the facts before talking s*** on the internet...”
His post comes after Law, 18, broke her silence this week by sharing a heartbreaking picture of her missing friend on Instagram. It was posted along with a crying face and blue heart emoji.
Slater's mom, Debbie Duncan, has also slammed trolls who have criticized her and her family as they remain in Tenerife to search for their loved one.
The worried parent issued a statement on the "JAY SLATER MISSING - ONLY OFFICIAL GROUP" Facebook page on Thursday (July 4), writing: "I feel the need to post this to your group and then I shall remove myself.
"I joined this group to share the positivity and love from the British public. It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds," she said.
"It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday," she continued.
Debbie explained that they are "a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell" and thanked those sending support at this time.
She also said that she can account for every pound of the £50,000 ($64,000) that has been donated to help find her son, adding: "For those of you who are more concerned around the Gofundme page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.
"I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds. If any of you in this group have donated. I am thankful for the other mothers out there. Please continue to pray. Thank you," she concluded.
Slater's loved ones are still searching for him.
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