i think it's appropriate to suspend your disbelief to ensure one's safety in this situation, as it would be much better to ensure that this person is safe than to dismiss it because of the possibility of a publicity stunt. if it really does turn out to be a publicity stunt, the backlash would speak for itself, and nobody would really watch their channel in the hopes of supporting them.
in any case, being routinely covered in bruises would be a bit extreme for a publicity stunt.