OnlyFans and TikTok influencer Matthew Gilbert disqualified from driving for six years

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

OnlyFans and TikTok influencer Matthew Gilbert has been disqualified from driving for six years, after he was caught travelling at 134km per hour on the N11, while already disqualified and having no insurance.

Matthew Gilbert (35), with an address in Dubai, formerly of Árd na Mara, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, appeared at a sitting of Bray District Court charged with driving a vehicle while disqualified, having no insurance and speeding.

Mr Gilbert, who is also known online as ‘The Irish Viking’, has 2.4 million followers on TikTok and a further 400,000 across other social media platforms, including OnlyFans.

Solicitor for the defendant, Brendan Maloney, explained that he had returned to Ireland in December 2025 and hired a car using a valid UAE driving licence, but had been disqualified from driving for five years back in 2021.

He argued that Mr Gilbert technically had a valid driving licence, which would not have affected the insurance on the rental car if he had crashed.

An appeal was lodged against the initial ban, but was later withdrawn, causing an “element of confusion” for Mr Gilbert.

However, on the day of his appeal, his wife, Maria Smirnova, a prominent fitness influencer with one million followers across social media, went into labour.

Sergeant Mick Canavan told the court that on January 2, Mr Gilbert was observed by gardaí driving at 134kmh in a 100kmh zone on the N11.

When stopped by gardaí, it was discovered that he had no valid driving licence.

The online fitness influencer has 42 previous convictions for drug offences, driving without a valid NCT, having no insurance and driving without a valid licence.

Back in 2018, he received 240 hours of community service in lieu of nine months’ imprisonment for possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply.

In mitigation, Mr Maloney said that Mr Gilbert’s “future lies in Dubai”, where he is a very successful entrepreneur.

The court was told that, as this was Mr Gilbert’s third no-insurance offence, he must face a driving disqualification of at least six years under the mandatory penalty provisions.

Judge Mary McAveety commented that the disqualification would be “purely cosmetic” due to the accused residing outside of the jurisdiction.

She disqualified Mr Gilbert from driving for a period of six years and fined him €1,000.