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]