YouTube stars Nick Joseph and Dan Rue blasted for 'kidnapping' little girl in Japan stunt

YouTube stars Nick Joseph and Dan Rue have sparked online outrage over a video of them in Japan appearing to abduct a child.

The clip was filmed last year and originally posted in September 2017, but has recently resurfaced on social media and caused fresh controversy.

The online comedy duo – who are best known for their 'Oh no baby! What is you doing?' meme – can be seen dancing in public during the minute-long clip, before Rue is seen picking up a small girl in the street.

As he runs away, Joseph shouts: "Jackie [Chan] will find you" while filming.

The video was initially pinned to the top of Rue's Twitter profile with the caption: "I found the girl from Rush Hour."

It has since been branded "disgusting" by social media users, with one angry Twitter user stating: "I don't like bringing attention to this kind of content but if you wanna be an annoying & obnoxious d**khead in public that's one thing, but don't be GRABBING little kids (while they're holding their parents hand especially, wtf) and RUNNING off with them this sh*t is wack man."

While others have branded Joseph's commentary in the video as racist. Another said: "As someone who is Asian, the way he was speaking and mocking the language was racist and disrespectful. Especially doing it in public in front of the very people he was poking fun at and using as a joke for view."

As someone else added: "what is wrong with you, and the shit you do for your shitty sense of humor. and you think that racist accent stuff's still funny? it's 2018, stop living in an age where you think that's ok."

Following the online backlash, Rue released a statement this week, telling his 86.4K following: "Hope you all kno this was staged with the family and the child is clearly laughing in the video.We had to edit her laugh out the end when we PRETENDED to take her. That's all I'm saying have a blessed day. Don't have time to argue it's clearly a definitive conversation."