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10 Cases of YouTubers Ruining Their Own Lives
WatchMojo
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12/28/2023
These YouTubers have no one to blame but themselves. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most popular YouTubers whose online empires came crashing down as a result of their own actions.
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00:00
Oh Lord, here we go.
00:02
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most popular YouTubers whose online
00:07
empires came crashing down as a result of their own actions.
00:12
And if you don't accept the apology, that is 100% okay.
00:17
Ravonna
00:18
Yovanna Mendoza, popularly known as Ravonna, built a name for herself online as a raw vegan
00:24
influencer.
00:26
Your body will love it and it's the best gift that you can give yourself.
00:31
Her YouTube channel attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers through her vegan
00:35
diet recipes and detox kits.
00:38
Mmm, mmm, wow.
00:41
It's so good and it's super warming too.
00:45
Just love it and it's perfect for this time of year.
00:49
Nonetheless, in 2019, she appeared in another vlogger's video while having a plate of fish
00:55
in front of her.
00:56
This clip ignited a social media storm, with many fans labeling her as dishonest and spamming
01:01
her comment sections with fish emojis.
01:04
In response, Ravonna released an apology video in which she clarified that she was forced
01:09
to change her diet due to medical reasons.
01:11
I'm really, really sorry about the way that the news were communicated to you, how you
01:18
had to find out.
01:20
This apology, however, did little to quell the outrage.
01:23
David Dobrik
01:25
David Dobrik initially rose to fame on Vine, but later found success on YouTube, amassing
01:30
millions of subscribers.
01:39
His content typically revolved around daily vlogs where he and his team, known as the
01:43
Vlog Squad, executed various stunts and pranks.
01:50
In 2021, Dobrik faced controversy following a series of sexual assault allegations.
01:56
First, Seth Francois, a former Vlog Squad member, accused Dobrik of coercing him into
02:01
kissing another member against his consent.
02:04
Then, an anonymous woman claimed that Dom Zeglitis, another Vlog Squad member, had sexually
02:09
assaulted her while filming a vlog in 2018.
02:13
These allegations led to the loss of multiple sponsorship deals and a temporary demonetization
02:18
of Dobrik's YouTube channel.
02:19
He has since reduced his video uploads on the platform.
02:29
Jeffree Star
02:36
Following a brief and unsuccessful foray into music, Jeffree Star ventured into the world
02:41
of makeup, where he eventually found success.
02:51
Star began promoting his makeup brand on YouTube, often collaborating with fellow YouTuber Shane
02:56
Dawson.
02:57
In 2020, Star's fame took a hit due to the infamous "Dragmageddon" scandal involving
03:04
beauty creators Toddy Westbrook and James Charles.
03:08
Originally supporting Westbrook, Star was later accused of manipulating her and fueling
03:12
the entire situation alongside Dawson.
03:15
He also faced allegations of racist behavior and sexual assault, reportedly paying hush
03:21
money to his accusers.
03:22
As a result, Star lost numerous followers and business deals.
03:32
In 2020, he moved to Casper, Wyoming and put up his LA mansion for sale.
03:45
Arab Andy
03:46
YouTube pranks can range from fun and harmless to potentially crossing the line into criminal
03:51
territory like in the case of Jamal Harraz.
03:55
Also known on YouTube as Arab Andy, Harraz gained notoriety in 2018 for live-streaming
04:01
a fake bomb incident at the University of Washington in Seattle.
04:05
Harraz walked into a classroom and played a message on a speaker, falsely claiming that
04:09
a bomb had been successfully activated and was set to detonate.
04:14
Panic quickly ensued, causing the occupants of the room to run out in panic.
04:18
While Harraz made fun of the situation, he was later arrested by police and charged with
04:24
making a bomb threat.
04:26
Laura Lee
04:27
After allegations of racism surfaced about Jeffree Star, a picture emerged showing a
04:32
group of YouTubers apparently mocking Star.
04:34
Among them was makeup artist Laura Lee.
04:37
This photo prompted Star's fans to investigate Lee's social media history, where they unearthed
04:43
multiple offensive tweets that included fat-shaming and the use of racial slurs.
04:47
But perhaps the most egregious was a tweet that made light of police brutality against
04:52
black people, which was posted a few months after the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin.
04:57
Lee attempted to salvage the situation with a video apology, though many perceived it
05:01
to be insincere.
05:02
Consequently, many of her sponsors severed ties with her, and she lost hundreds of thousands
05:07
of subscribers within days.
05:09
Anthony Fantano
05:23
Popular music critic Anthony Fantano operates the YouTube channel The Needle Drop, where
05:28
he reviews music from a wide range of genres.
05:31
To earn extra cash, Fantano also ran another YouTube channel called "That Is The Plan,"
05:36
uploading meme reviews and other non-music content.
05:42
In 2017, an article by The Fader alleged that Fantano had posted racist memes and associated
05:48
with the alt-right movement on his second channel.
05:51
During the release of the article, Fantano saw several of his scheduled US tour dates
05:56
cancelled.
05:57
He ultimately deleted the "That Is The Plan" account and posted a video response on his
06:01
main channel, labeling the Fader article a "hit job."
06:14
The following year, Fader deleted the piece from their site after reportedly reaching
06:18
a settlement with Fantano.
06:22
Shane Dawson
06:23
Once regarded as the king of YouTube, Shane Dawson experienced arguably one of the greatest
06:28
downfalls ever witnessed on the platform.
06:30
Dawson began his YouTube career in 2008 and eventually attracted a legion of fans with
06:35
his highly popular docuseries.
06:39
However, things took a turn for the worse in the summer of 2020 when a series of old
06:49
videos resurfaced showing Dawson performing in blackface and using racial slurs.
06:55
He also faced backlash for making inappropriate comments about minors and his own cat.
07:03
The repercussions were swift and severe.
07:05
Dawson lost over a million subscribers, his books were taken off the shelves at Target,
07:10
and all three of his channels were indefinitely demonetized by YouTube.
07:29
Sam Pepper
07:30
English YouTuber Sam Pepper launched his channel in 2010, uploading mostly prank videos,
07:36
two of which significantly impacted his career.
07:45
The first, titled "Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank," featured Pepper inappropriately touching random
07:50
unsuspecting women, prompting heavy backlash.
07:53
He initially defended it as a social experiment, but eventually took it down.
08:01
Things went worse with the second video, which saw Pepper tricking a man into believing that
08:06
his best friend had been shot and killed.
08:08
This left many viewers horrified, and ultimately prompted an apology from Pepper in which he
08:13
confessed that the video was staged.
08:32
Since then, Pepper has largely transitioned to TikTok, where he creates less controversial
08:37
content leaving his YouTube days behind.
08:40
Nikita Dragon
08:41
With over 3 million subscribers on YouTube, Nikita Dragon is one of the most popular beauty
08:46
creators on the platform.
08:52
But her reputation has been marred by a series of controversies dating back to 2017.
08:58
The YouTuber first faced criticism for blackfishing after appearing in a Jeffree Star cosmetics
09:03
campaign with noticeably darker skin.
09:05
Two years later, she was called out for cultural appropriation when she was photographed wearing
09:10
box braids.
09:11
The backlash against her intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she attended not
09:16
one but two house parties that flouted public health guidelines without even wearing a mask.
09:21
As a result, her presence on social media has waned, and she has been largely inactive
09:26
on YouTube since 2021.
09:46
James Charles
09:58
YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles joined the platform in 2015 and swiftly rose to fame.
10:04
Within a year, he was named CoverGirl's first male ambassador.
10:07
His rise continued steadily over the next few years until 2019 when he got involved
10:12
in a public feud with fellow beauty influencer Tati Westbrook.
10:16
Westbrook questioned Charles' loyalty and accused him of inappropriate behavior with
10:20
a heterosexual man.
10:27
As a result, Charles reportedly lost one million subscribers in a single day.
10:32
While he briefly regained public support, more controversy soon followed, including
10:36
allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to underage fans.
10:40
This marked the tipping point for many.
10:42
The incidents led to a loss of business deals and a temporary demonetization of Charles'
10:47
YouTube channel.
10:51
What did you make of these YouTube falls from grace?
10:54
Let us know in the comments below!
11:18
[music]
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