10 Cases of YouTubers Ruining Their Own Lives

10-Times-YouTubers-Ruined-Their-Own-Lives

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.

Rawvana

Yovana Mendoza, popularly known as Rawvana, built a name for herself online as a raw vegan influencer. Her YouTube channel attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers through her vegan diet recipes and detox kits. Nonetheless, in 2019, she appeared in another vlogger’s video while having a plate of fish in front of her. This clip ignited a social media storm, with many fans labeling her as dishonest and spamming her comment sections with fish emojis. In response, Rawvana released an apology video in which she clarified that she was forced to change her diet due to medical reasons. This apology, however, did little to quell the outrage.

David Dobrik

David Dobrik initially rose to fame on Vine, but later found success on YouTube, amassing millions of subscribers. His content typically revolved around daily vlogs where he and his team, known as the Vlog Squad, executed various stunts and pranks. In 2021, Dobrik faced controversy following a series of sexual assault allegations. First, Seth Francois, a former Vlog Squad member, accused Dobrik of coercing him into kissing another member against his consent. Then, an anonymous woman claimed that Dom Zeglaitis, another Vlog Squad member, had sexually assaulted her while filming a vlog in 2018. These allegations led to the loss of multiple sponsorship deals and a temporary demonetization of Dobrik’s YouTube channel. He has since reduced his video uploads on the platform.

Jeffree Star

Following a brief and unsuccessful foray into music, Jeffree Star ventured into the world of makeup, where he eventually found success. Star began promoting his makeup brand on YouTube, often collaborating with fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson. In 2020, Star’s fame took a hit due to the infamous Dragmaggedon scandal, involving beauty creators Tati Westbrook and James Charles. Initially supporting Westbrook, Star was later accused of manipulating her and fueling the entire situation alongside Dawson. He also faced allegations of racist behavior and sexual assault, reportedly paying hush money to his accusers. As a result, Star lost numerous followers and business deals. In 2020, he moved to Casper, Wyoming and put up his L.A. mansion for sale.

Arab Andy

YouTube pranks can range from fun and harmless, to potentially crossing the line into criminal territory, like in the case of Jammal Harraz. Also known on YouTube as Arab Andy, Harraz gained notoriety in 2018 for live streaming a fake bomb incident at the University of Washington in Seattle. Harraz walked into a classroom and played a message on a speaker falsely claiming that a bomb had been successfully activated and was set to detonate. Panic quickly ensued, causing the occupants of the room to run out in panic, while Harraz made fun of the situation. He was later arrested by police and charged with making a bomb threat.

Laura Lee

After allegations of racism surfaced about Jeffree Star, a picture emerged showing a group of YouTubers apparently mocking Star. Among them was make-up artist Laura Lee. This photo prompted Star’s fans to investigate Lee’s social media history, where they unearthed multiple offensive tweets that included fat-shaming and the use of racial slurs. But perhaps the most egregious was a tweet that made light of police brutality against black people, which was posted a few months after the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin. Lee attempted to salvage the situation with a video apology, though many perceived it to be insincere. Consequently, many of her sponsors severed ties with her and she lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers within days.

Anthony Fantano

Popular music critic Anthony Fantano operates the YouTube channel The Needle Drop, where he reviews music from a wide range of genres. To earn extra cash, Fantano also ran another YouTube channel called ‘thatistheplan’, uploading meme reviews and other non-music content. In 2017, an article by The Fader alleged that Fantano had posted racist memes and associated with the alt-right movement on his second channel. Following the release of the article, Fantano saw several of his scheduled U.S. tour dates canceled. He ultimately deleted the ‘thatistheplan’ account and posted a video response on his main channel, labeling the Fader article a “hit job”. The following year, Fader deleted the piece from their site after reportedly reaching a settlement with Fantano.

Shane Dawson

Once regarded as the King of YouTube, Shane Dawson experienced arguably one of the greatest downfalls ever witnessed on the platform. Dawson began his YouTube career in 2008 and eventually attracted a legion of fans with his highly popular docuseries. However, things took a turn for the worse in the summer of 2020 when a series of old videos resurfaced showing Dawson performing in blackface and using racial slurs. He also faced backlash for making inappropriate comments about minors and his own cat. The repercussions were swift and severe. Dawson lost over a million subscribers, his books were taken off the shelves at Target, and all three of his channels were indefinitely demonetized by YouTube.

Sam Pepper

English YouTuber Sam Pepper launched his channel in 2010, uploading mostly prank videos, two of which significantly impacted his career. The first, titled ‘Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank’ featured Pepper inappropriately touching random unsuspecting women, prompting heavy backlash. He initially defended it as a social experiment, but eventually took it down. Things went worse with the second video, which showed Pepper tricking a man into believing that his best friend had been shot and killed. This left many viewers horrified and ultimately prompted an apology from Pepper in which he confessed that the video was staged. Since then, Pepper has largely transitioned to TikTok, where he creates less controversial content, leaving his YouTube days behind.

Nikita Dragun

With over three million subscribers on YouTube, Nikita Dragun is one of the most popular beauty creators on the platform. But her reputation has been marred by a series of controversies dating back to 2017. The YouTuber first faced criticism for blackfishing after appearing in a Jeffree Star Cosmetics campaign with noticeably darker skin. Two years later, she was called out for cultural appropriation when she was photographed wearing box braids. The backlash against her intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she attended not one but two house parties that flouted public health guidelines, without even wearing a mask. As a result, her presence on social media has waned, and she has been largely inactive on YouTube since 2021.

James Charles

YouTuber and make-up artist James Charles joined the platform in 2015 and swiftly rose to fame. Within a year, he was named CoverGirl’s first male ambassador. His rise continued steadily over the next few years until 2019 when he got involved in a public feud with fellow beauty influencer Tati Westbrook. Westbrook questioned Charles’ loyalty and accused him of inappropriate behavior with a heterosexual man. As a result, Charles reportedly lost one million subscribers in a single day. While he briefly regained public support, more controversies soon followed, including allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to underage fans. This marked the tipping point for many. The incidents led to a loss of business deals and a temporary demonetization of Charles’ YouTube channel.


What did you make of these YouTube falls from grace? Let us know in the comments below.