While many people go to YouTube's beauty community for product reviews and tutorials, this gorgeous corner of the internet has quickly turned into a hotbed for drama and scandal. Following the major blowout between influencers James Charles and Tati Westbrook, another apology has joined the ever-growing list of cringe-worthy videos.
As many YouTube-loyalists know, Charles is far from the first online celebrity to feel the need to apologize to his fanbase via a confessional video. Following the 19-year-old's response to Westbrook's video, many viewers hopped over to Twitter to compare the clip to beauty vlogger Laura Lee.
Charles' video, posted Friday, has since garnered over 23 million views. Despite the video, the 19-year-old continues to lose subscribers by the bucket-loads. As of Sunday afternoon, his follower count stood at 14.19 million, down more than 2 million from a high of 16.57 million less than a week earlier.
Watch Charles' video below:
In 2018, Lee made a video to address racist tweets that had resurfaced and quickly became parodied for what many saw as overly dramatic, crocodile tears. The apology video received so much negative feedback that the influencer has since deleted the clip; however, the footage still exists online thanks to various reaction, gossip channels.
As a result of Lee's resurfaced tweets and backlash of her apology video, the 30-year-old lost major sponsorships including Morphe and Cosmetics and Ulta Beauty.
Watch commentary on Lee's apology video below:
2018 was a big year for beauty influencer apology videos. Manny MUA — famously known for his YouTube channel and being the first male ambassador for Maybelline — has made plenty of apology videos, but the one that received the most flack was in response to a shady photo made about fellow beauty YouTuber Jeffree Star.
In response to Gabriel Zamora's "My Truth" video — itself a response to Zamora's falling out with Manny — the makeup guru discussed his admitted "track record" when it came to friendships within the beauty community, saying he would do things "differently."
Many deemed the apology video mere "damage control" and not a true statement of regret.
Watch Manny MUA's apology below:
While beauty influencer and transgender advocate Nikita Dragun didn't post an apology on YouTube, the 23-year-old used Snapchat to address resurfaced "insensitive tweets" from 2012 that involved comments on child abuse, pedophilia and that she "could never" imagine being black.
"We've all met a child that makes us realize [that] 'child abuse' began for a reason," the makeup guru tweeted at the time.
"I'm not saying your child is ugly," Nikita prefaced in another controversial tweet. "I'm just saying you'll never have to worry about pedophiles."
"Imagine being black? I could never," another tweet the then 15-year-old wrote.
Those who initially saw the Snapchat attempt at an apology, quickly pointed out that Dragun never actually said the three precious words "I am sorry," but instead chose the "I've changed" route.
Even though some apology videos are truly cringe-worthy, don't expect people to stop posting them. As YouTube creators — many of whom are catapulted into online fame out of nowhere — become more influential, scandals are bound to follow. Whether it's resurfaced tweets or "gross behavior" finally coming to light, it is a matter of time until the YouTube community moves on to its next apology video-victim.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Hannah Preston works remotely from the Los Angeles area. She studied Journalism & New Media at California Baptist University and interned ... Read more
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