10 Cases of YouTubers Ruining Their Own Lives
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]