How many James Charles scandals and apologies can you recall? We all know the drama that went down between Tati Westbrook, James Charles and Jeffree Star a few years ago. The so-called “Dramageddon” lasted for so long that its effects are still continuing today, even on the legal level such as the court case between Tati Westbrook and Without A Crystal Ball. We explained the situation in detail in our previous articles, so check them out before jumping on this wagon.
James Charles has been in a few scandals since we wrote our first article. He is now in hot water again with the same accusations that were there in the first Dramageddon. The young beauty guru James Charles is accused of being a predator of younger men, and it seems like every day there is a new victim coming out. Even though he got himself in the clear after the first drama, underage boys with “receipts” are coming on TikTok to expose him and the inappropriate texts James sent them. As these boys are underage by law, what James allegedly did is an actual crime. The victims also claim he insisted on getting nude photos as well, while sending them those of his.
Another James Charles Scandal, Another Apology
After people came out to talk about their experiences with James, he released a video titled “Holding Myself Accountable” where he basically admits to sexting with underage boys. In the video he claims he didn’t know that these boys were underage, and some even lied about their age to talk to him. However, the incidents happened a year apart, so one would expect James to do his research before pursuing an underage boy.
The video caused even more backlash on James. “Holding Myself Accountable” was nothing but damage control, with no real apology to the victims, or his audience who got his back before. The YouTube audience is familiar with these videos though. Almost all influencers have created an insincere apology video before, without mentioning the real issue.
James Charles’ Feud with Former Employees
The accusations from underage boys about sexting wasn’t the only thing that made up a James Charles scandal. A former employee, his ex-assistant also spoke out about her experience while working for him. She claimed her work was terminated unfairly. According to her, she was forced to work while sick, wasn’t compensated enough for overtime work, and James was totally unprofessional towards her, and asking her to do stuff that was way too personal. She and James Charles’s team have an ongoing court case at the moment as well.
What is the real issue with James Charles?
James Charles got his fame when he was only 17 by being on the cover of Covergirl. It was revolutionary, as he was the first male to show up on a makeup magazine. He gained a lot of approval and praises from the beauty community. He quickly got big brand deals, became recognized by everyone on the internet. James basically became a celebrity in a matter of a few years. This type of fast-earned fame usually comes with a price though. In James’s case, it was his personality. Numerous James Charles scandals followed.
Even though after the allegations James Charles was dropped by many brands, his YouTube got demonetized, and he lost a few followers; he is still one of the most well-known internet personalities. One of the brands that dropped James was Morphe, and even though they dropped Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson without a blink after last year’s scandal, they were hesitant to drop James. The brand only did that after receiving a lot of backlash due to their long awaited statement, and even after that they continued to sell products in collaboration with James with the same price tag. After all, James made a huge revenue for the brand for the last couple of years.
The Audience Effect
For an influencer or celebrity to hold themselves accountable, they need an audience to tell them to do so. In James’s case, his audience is mostly younger people, who are vulnerable to whatever they see on the internet. They are also very devoted to their idols. So when some bad news is out about their favorites, they go into a defensive mode. The audience could bully someone and basically chase them off the internet if they got aggressive. This is mostly because they don’t believe their idol can do something wrong.
This is similar to why celebrities can get away with pretty much anything that a regular person wouldn’t. Once someone becomes a celebrity, they become untouchable. The reason why James is still active on social media is because he is not actually taking responsibility. And his audience doesn’t seem to care about it. If his audience was to question him and stop supporting him, he would’ve learnt from his misbehaviors. But as his audience is still supportive (he is still growing on various platforms), and he is quite young, it paves the way to even more mistakes. Ultimately, he is going to learn to take responsibility for his behavior that we can call crimes. But for now, he doesn’t seem to slow down or get away from social media anytime soon.
Do you think we’ll see another James Charles scandal or James Charles drama anytime soon? Do you think he is untouchable despite the allegations? Let us know down below or hit us up on our socials!