Colleen Ballinger, known for her alter ego Miranda Sings, rose to fame in the late 2000s but faced allegations of putting underage fans in exploitative positions. Brands began pulling ads from her projects, and her career took a hit after a poorly received apology video. Ruby Franke of 8 Passengers faced backlash over her parenting methods, leading to child abuse charges against her. Myka and James Stauffer received backlash for “rehoming” their adopted son Huxley, resulting in the deletion of their YouTube channel. Ali Abulaban murdered his partner, Ana, and her friend, Rayburn Barron, leading to a guilty verdict and sentencing to life in prison. Ladarius Morshun Brownlee allegedly shot his girlfriend, Zahra Hashemi, in the head during an argument, landing him in jail while Hashemi suffered a traumatic brain injury.
James Charles, a controversial beauty YouTuber, faced numerous accusations, including grooming underage boys and lost significant followers and views. Shane Dawson faced backlash for old racist and inappropriate videos and was accused of sexualizing minors, leading to his books being removed from Target. David Dobrik received criticism for his actions in the Vlog Squad, including sexual misconduct allegations against a member, leading to major companies distancing themselves from him. Belle Gibson, an influencer claimed to have terminal brain cancer, lied and was fined for dishonesty, disappearing from the public eye.
PewDiePie faced backlash for making anti-Semitic jokes and comments, resulting in the cancelation of his YouTube Red show and Disney cutting ties with him. Caroline Calloway faced backlash for her “Creativity Workshop” and was exposed by her collaborator for buying followers. Logan Paul faced criticism for posting a video showing a dead body in a Japanese forest and continued to generate controversy. Jeffree Star faced numerous controversies, including accusations of racism and sexual assault, losing followers and brand partnerships.
These instances serve as cautionary tales for online influencers and the consequences they may face for their actions, including losing followers, brand partnerships, and legal repercussions. It is essential for influencers to be mindful of their content and behavior to maintain a positive reputation and avoid damaging their careers.
