50 WORST YouTube Scandals Ever

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were breaking down 50 of the most shocking controversies and disturbing scandals in YouTube history. Warning some information contains distressing details.

Trollstations Art Gallery Heists

Trollstation was a group known for outrageous public pranks - but in 2015, their antics turned criminal. You see, the group staged fake art thefts at two major London galleries. With alarms blaring and actors pretending to be thieves, legitimate visitors were thrown into chaos. They called it a social experiment, but the police didnt see it that way. Several members of Trollstation were arrested and ultimately served jail time. It was yet another case of YouTube stunts leading to real-world consequences and a clear signal that this type of content is not worth the views.

Vegan Influencer Caught Eating Meat

Rawvana - real name Yovana Mendoza - partially built her online brand by preaching the benefits of veganism. But, in 2019, it all imploded. When another influencers vlog caught Rawvana at a restaurant, she was discovered to be eating a plate of fish. In the clip, Mendoza appears to try and hide her plate when she notices the camera. Of course, the internet being the internet, pounced - hard. While she later explained she was dealing with health issues and had reintroduced animal products into her diet, many felt deceived and began spamming her social media with fish images and emojis.

Olivia Jade and the College Admissions Scandal

On the surface, Olivia Jade was just another likable college student vlogging her dorm life to her sizable following. Then the truth came out. In 2019, her famous parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, were charged in the massive Varsity Blues bribery scandal. It turns out they had paid half a million dollars to falsely present Olivia and her sister as rowing recruits to get them into USC. Olivias channel went quiet, brand deals ended, and when she returned, it was to an internet that no longer trusted her. The scandal has since become a symbol of privilege - showing how much fame and wealth can manipulate a system.

"Cry For the Camera"

It was in 2021 that beauty and lifestyle vlogger Jordan Cheyenne crossed a serious ethical line all in the name of online content. After revealing her dog was gravely ill, she promptly filmed a video with her visibly distraught son. Unfortunately for her, she also accidentally uploaded footage of herself directing him to pose and act like hes crying for the thumbnail. The video sparked widespread disgust, with many accusing Jordan of exploiting her sons real emotions for likes. She later apologized and took a break from YouTube, but the damage was already done.

Ned Fulmers Workplace Affair

Its safe to say that Ned Fulmer, one-fourth of the popular Try Guys, was considered the wife guy of the group. Alas, that image shattered when fans uncovered photos and videos of Ned kissing Try Guys producer Alexandria Herring - despite Ned being in a serious relationship at the time. And with Herring technically being Neds subordinate, the situation became a workplace scandal with serious power dynamics involved. Within days, the Try Guys released a video confirming Ned was stepping away. Fulmers reputation was permanently damaged though, as the group was forced to carry on and rebuild without him.

Jenna Marbles Leaves YouTube

Jenna Marbles was one of the original YouTube sweethearts. She was largely seen as funny, self-deprecating, and seemingly drama-free. So, when she addressed past racist jokes in a 2020 apology video, fans were quite surprised. However, no one expected what came next. Tearfully, Jenna announced she was leaving the platform entirely. She cited accountability and remorse over her past content, which included hurtful stereotypes and offensive skits. In a sense, she canceled herself. While many praised Jennas maturity, others mourned what felt like the loss of one of YouTubes last good ones.

Arab Andys Bomb Threat Livestream

Sometimes, the line between trolling and terrorism gets dangerously blurred and Arab Andy proved just that in an unfortunate 2018 prank. Real name Jammal Harraz, the IRL streamer took things much too far when he entered a University of Washington classroom and triggered a pre-recorded message claiming a bomb had been activated and was about to detonate. It wasnt real, but the fear it caused certainly was. As individuals fled in terror, Harraz laughed and continued streaming. The act led to Harraz being charged with "threat to bomb or injure property" not to mention widespread condemnation.

Brooke Houts Caught Abusing Her Dog

In 2019, lifestyle YouTuber Brooke Houts made a horrifying mistake - she uploaded raw, unedited footage of herself pranking her dog. But what viewers saw wasnt funny at all. In the clip, Houts was seen yelling at, shoving, and even spitting on her Doberman. The video immediately went viral, with many claiming it was evidence of animal abuse. Although Houts tried to walk it back with a written apology, claiming she wasnt abusive and that the footage looked worse than it was, the damage was done. She lost fans, partnerships, and was called out by fellow YouTubers, including Logan Paul.

SkyDoesMinecraft Abuse Allegations

At one point, SkyDoesMinecraft - real name Adam Dahlberg - was one of the biggest Minecraft creators on the platform with millions of subscribers to his channel. But in 2022, that all came crashing down. Their ex-partner released a scathing open letter accusing Adam of a staggering pattern of abuse - not just against her, but also others in their circle. As her shocking post went viral, more voices from Adams past (including former collaborators and friends) stepped forward with similar allegations of mistreatment. They cited narcissistic behavior and volatile outbursts behind the scenes. To say that the Minecraft community was left stunned would be a wee bit of an understatement.

ItzArya's Acid Attack Pranks

In 2018, following a string of violent acid attacks in the UK, a YouTuber named Arya Mosallah, known as ItzArya, tried to chase viral views with a so-called prank. However, his idea of a joke was anything but a laughing matter. In his video, Arya approached random people on the street with a cup of liquid and flung it at them - pretending it was acid. It was just water, but his victims didnt know that, and their reactions were sheer panic. The video sparked outrage and prompted calls for criminal charges, with Arya insisting it was all just dark humor.

Tasha K vs. Cardi B

Tasha K built a following on YouTube through celebrity gossip, but her feud with rapper Cardi B landed her in hot water. In 2019, Cardi sued the vlogger for defamation after Tasha claimed the artist had an STD, used illegal substances, and was unfaithful. The lawsuit concluded in 2022 with Cardi winning a stunning $4 million judgment. Tasha later filed for bankruptcy, seeking to reorganize her finances and pay off her debts. In 2025, the case finally settled on a $1.2 million payment plan, proving that there are indeed consequences for spreading misinformation on YouTube.

Adam Blampieds Scandals

A leading figure in wrestling commentary on YouTube, Adam Blampied was first with WhatCulture, but later left to help start up Cultaholic. However, just as he and his colleagues launched the new channel, allegations emerged that Blampied had manipulated fans into sending him explicit photos. He admitted to the misbehavior and stepped away from public life, stating he was seeking help. Though he later returned for another wrestling YouTube platform, Blampied was again hit with accusations of misconduct reigniting criticism. This led to another channel exit and major doubt being cast on his efforts to change.

Laura Lees Racist Tweets

Beauty guru Laura Lee experienced a massive fall from grace in 2018 when her old racist tweets from years passed resurfaced. The backlash was immediate for Lee, leading to a mass exodus of subscribers and sponsors cutting ties with her. She attempted damage control with a tearful apology video, but many viewers questioned her theatrical approach - even mocking her for appearing to force her emotions. Of course, this scandal was just one example of the behind-the-scenes drama in the beauty community involving online influencers

Dhar Mann Actors Protest Over Pay and Working Conditions

In February 2023, Dhar Mann Studios faced backlash after multiple actors publicly accused the company of poor working conditions and unsustainably low pay. Actor Charles Laughlin revealed that performers requested a meeting with Dhar Mann to address concerns, but Mann refusedallegedly firing actress Jessica Ruth Bell afterward. Fellow actor Colin Borden claimed those who spoke out were also quickly let go. The controversy led to protests outside the studio, drawing widespread online attention. In response, Dhar Mann released a video denying the accusations, stating the actors were spreading false information. He further defended the studios practices by disclosing their hourly pay rates.

Kian Lawley Dropped from The Hate U Give

YouTuber Kian Lawley hit the big time when he landed a role in the major motion picture The Hate U Give. Based on the 2017 novel by Angie Thomas, the impactful story deals directly with racial injustice and police brutality. In a case of disastrous timing, a video from Lawleys past resurfaced showing him using racial slurs and making offensive jokes. Following the backlash, 20th Century Fox recast his role entirely, stating that his actions were not in line with the films values. Lawley issued a public apology and acknowledged that he had grown since the video was recorded.

Sam and Nias Controversial Pregnancy Reveal

Husband-and-wife duo Sam and Nia went viral in 2015 after a surprising video in which Sam revealed his wifes pregnancy before she even knew. How? Sam claimed to have secretly tested her urine. Days later, the couple announced they had suffered a miscarriage - but skeptics online began questioning whether the entire ordeal was staged for attention. Their response only added fuel to the fire, with Sam declaring, It was all stagedby God! While the couple denied fabricating the pregnancy, the scandal showed the dangers of packaging a personal moment - and possibly manipulating it - for viral content.

Toy Freaks Shut Down Over Child Endangerment

Greg Chisms Toy Freaks channel amassed around 8 million subscribers before YouTube pulled the plug in 2017. The channel featured content of Chisms two young daughters acting out strange (often unsettling) scenarios. This included pretending to be babies or vomiting. Critics and child protection experts accused Chism of exploiting his daughters for views, with others arguing the videos attracted an inappropriate adult audience. YouTube removed the channel after updating its child endangerment policies, citing clear violations. The scandal prompted a broader crackdown on so-called family prank channels, as well as discussions around parental responsibility and digital exploitation.

A Fatal Stunt

In one of the most tragic incidents to ever unfold on YouTube, Monalisa Perez accidentally shot and killed her boyfriend, Pedro Ruiz III, in June of 2017 during a planned stunt for their channel. The couple hoped to gain views by performing a risky act: Perez would fire a gun at an encyclopedia Ruiz held to his chest, believing the book would stop the bullet. It didnt. Perez, who was pregnant at the time and just 19 years old, was charged. She later pled guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to six months in jail.

David Dobriks Vlog Squad Controversies

Once considered one of YouTubes most wholesome vloggers, David Dobriks image took a hit in 2021 amid serious allegations against members of his Vlog Squad. Former collaborator Seth Francois spoke out saying he was tricked into a non-consensual kiss as part of a prank, while a woman later accused Dom Zeglaitis of indecent assault during a 2018 shoot that allegedly involved alcohol. Many pointed fingers at Dobrik for enabling a toxic environment and exploiting situations for views. The fallout was swift as Dobrik lost major sponsorships, including HelloFresh, and was temporarily demonetized by YouTube. His comeback has since remained rocky.

Alex Jones Banned

Far-right media personality and prominent conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, built his YouTube presence off volatile content under the InfoWars banner. Despite repeated warnings, it wasnt until 2018 that YouTube removed several of his videos for violating policies around hate speech and child endangerment. The platform soon followed others like Facebook and Apple in banning him entirely. However, Jones tried to sidestep the ban by uploading videos through a secondary channel, Resistance News, which was also taken down. Years later, Alex Jones was ordered to pay over $1 billion in damages for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Dillion Burch the Disney World Danger

Committing mass atrocities isnt a concept for comedy but a very real fear many have. Yet in 2018, Burch decided this situation was hilarious. While at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, the YouTuber got intoxicated and then went around telling guests someone was wandering around with a firearm. Burch reportedly did this to record the peoples reaction as he told them he was joking. However, his practical joke caused the resort to lockdown as the fake story was investigated. The police later found Burch hiding in a bush. Due to his reckless behavior, he was sentenced to 3 days in jail and banned from Disney World.

Dear Fat People

Usually, when a comedian makes a joke, theres a set-up, a punch-line, and laughter from the audience. However, Nicole Arbours 2015 video Dear Fat People missed all these attributes. She spent 6 minutes monologuing to the camera with fatphobic jabs poorly disguised as jokes. Understandably, there was a lot of backlash as fellow YouTubers and viewers heavily criticized her. The controversy even caused Arbour to miss out on film roles, too. However, despite that, the Canadian influencer has little remorse. Instead, she made various other Dear videos, each taking shots at another demographic. Arbour also claimed she did the infamous video to gain notoriety, but its not like this scandal springboarded her career.

Ruby Franke

In 2015, Franke opened the family vlogging channel 8 Passengers. But by 2020, allegations of mistreating her children began to slowly circulate, resulting in the channels decline. After splitting with her husband, Kevin, in 2022, Franke started working with counselor Jodi Hildebrandt on the channel ConneXions. In 2023, shock spread through YouTube when Frankes emaciated and injured son escaped from their house and asked neighbors for help. Police soon investigated and found evidence of abuse. After agreeing to a plea deal, Franke was sentenced to between 4 to 30 years in jail. Hildebrandt, taking a similar deal, also received 4 to 30 years. However, this was soon followed by a lawsuit from a former client and another from Kevin.

ImJayStation Fakes Girlfriend's Death

When looking to boost interest in a channel, YouTubers will typically think of new content ideas or rebranding. However, Jason Ethier, AKA ImJayStation, went in a far more sinister direction. In 2020, he uploaded a video of him tearfully explaining that his partner and fellow YouTuber, Alexia Marano, had passed away after an intoxicated driver struck her. Ethier then released further videos, such as trying to contact her spirit with a Ouija board. However, it soon emerged that the police had no record of a fatal crash in the area and that Marano was alive. Ethier eventually admitted he did this to boost subscribers and that his partner was involved in the ploy. However, Marano then broke up with him and accused him of abuse.

Onision

In the early days of YouTubes popularity, James Jackson, AKA Onision, was one of the platforms biggest names with his sketch videos. However, in 2012, another side to him began to emerge as he made controversial statements about an ex-partner. In 2019, Jackson allegedly doxxed someone, resulting in his Patreon being banned. Soon after, he was then accused of abuse by ex-partner Shiloh Hoganson, followed by accusations hed been grooming fans. This led Chris Hansen of To Catch a Predator fame to target Jackson by arriving at his home to interview him. However, Jackson refused. He then issued petitions against Hansen and YouTuber Daniel Sulzbach, AKA Repzion. However, due to another Chris Hansen being served accidentally, it was dismissed.

BetterHelp

If their commercials arent popping up during videos, BetterHelp was sponsoring specific YouTubers. With a company all about helping those struggling with mental health issues by connecting them to therapists, it seemed like a good message. But not everyone agreed. In 2018, YouTube stars such as PewDiePie criticized BetterHelps practices, accusing the company of faking reviews, deceptive pricing, and Terms of Service that stated it didnt guarantee therapists credentials. Yikes. PewDiePie also highlighted that when viewers signed up via a link, the YouTuber would get paid, essentially meaning theyre profiting from their fanbases struggles. BetterHelp higher-ups rejected the accusations. However, the company found itself in another controversy in 2023 when it shared consumers' health data with third parties.

ReSet & the Inedible Oreo

First specializing in gaming content, Kanghua Ren, AKA ReSet, began incorporating challenge and practical joke videos. However, in 2017, Ren took a pack of Oreos, removed the cream, and replaced it with toothpaste. Then, he went through the streets of Barcelona, Spain, giving the deceptive treats to people. Ren then met a homeless man and gave him some doctored Oreos, causing the man to vomit. He later tried to bribe the man and his family into not pressing charges. In 2019, Ren was sentenced to 15 months in jail, which he was unlikely to serve due to being a non-violent, first-time offender. Ren was also banned from uploading on YouTube for 5 years and had to pay the victim 20,000, around $22,400.

Ava Tyson's Alleged Messages

As a childhood friend of James MrBeast Donaldson, Tyson has been involved with the channel since the early days. In 2023, during an interview with Anthony Padilla, she announced she was a transwoman. However, in 2024, Tyson was then accused of grooming a minor. While she defended herself, claiming it was edgy jokes, Tyson stepped away from the MrBeast channel. The victim originally supported Tysons version of events but later stated they realized it was inappropriate. Donaldson followed the scandal by hiring a law firm to investigate the accusations. After 3 months, the company concluded the allegations were baseless. Following this, the alleged victim called the allegations against Tyson completely false.

The Ukulele Apology

With her character Miranda Sings, Colleen Ballinger took YouTube by storm with her skits, leading to mainstream success with films and TV shows. However, behind the scenes, things were very far darker. After admitting to sending underwear to an underage fan in 2020, it got worse in 2023 when screenshots of a group chat she was involved in went public. Ballinger seemingly asked many inappropriate questions to minors, including those that evolved around intimate acts. As the scandal grew, causing racist and insensitive past videos to resurface, Ballinger did something no one expectedshe released a YouTube apology video while singing as she played the ukulele. It was strange and caused a lot of backlash and mockery that she hasnt recovered from since.

Jeff Wittek's Horror Injuries

Typically, when a group of influencers team up for content, everyone benefits in some way. However, for Wittek and David Dobriks Vlog Squad, it ended horribly. In 2020, Wittek was severely injured by a stunt, resulting in suffering many terrible injuries. In 2021, he released a series of videos titled Don't Try This at Home, which detailed what happened and the aftermath. As the squad was filming stunts in a lake in Utah, one part involved Wittek holding onto a rope as Dobrik swung the excavator it was attached to. However, Dobrik was more aggressive with the movements. He then stopped suddenly, causing Wittek to collide with the vehicle. In 2022, Wittek issued a $10 million lawsuit against Dobrik for causing his injuries.

Hosseinzadeh v. Klein

You may know these parties better as YouTube personalities Bold Guy and h3h3Productions. For those unfamiliar with the works of Ethan and Hila Klein, their two channels h3h3 and Ethan and Hila boast comedy skits, reaction videos, and YouTube criticism. When they reacted to a video uploaded by MattHossZone, the channels owner, Matthew Hosseinzadeh, didnt take too kindly to the slamming or their use of his content. His lawyer demanded the video to be taken down, never spoken of again, and wanted $4,000 in compensation. The lawsuit continued, causing big names like Philip DeFranco and the Fine Brothers to band together to help fund h3h3s defense in the name of fair use.

YouTube Heroes & Subscriber Bug

2016 will go down as a write-off for just about everybody especially YouTube. Throughout the year, many YouTubers saw a hefty dip in their subscribers and were understandably a bit miffed. In response to the outcry, YouTube kind of admitted they didnt know what was happening, later saying it was a bug. To add fuel to the rage fire, YouTube then came out with YouTube Heroes in September 2016, a program that would allow users to flag videos, report users, and assist in closed captioning. Basically, they wanted people to work for YouTube for free. In a sad twist of irony, the community backlash was so brutal that YouTube disabled the Comments section on the video. Talk about a downvote...

Marina Joyce Fake Kidnapping

In July 2016, this young beauty vlogger came under serious scrutiny. In a video about date outfits, Marina Joyce seemed to be behaving strangely. Her fans immediately noticed she wasnt her normal energetic self, and some even thought they could see bruises on her body. Many took these as signs Joyce was in danger, with some even speculating she was kidnapped by ISIS. The hashtag #savemarinajoyce quickly spread online, with fears escalating to the point that authorities visited her home. In reality, the video was just an awkward advertisement, and her bruises a result of a tumble in the woods prior to shooting the video. Whether this was a stunt Joyce pulled, the real deal, or just a lot of jumping to conclusions, its still quite something.

The Beauty Racism Scandal

What do they say about glass houses and throwing stones again? These beauty gurus could have used a refresher! In summer 2018, the beauty community was rocked by a racism scandal reported in Vox and The Washington Post. It all started with a fallout between makeup artist Jeffree Star and other beauty mavens. In a tweet, Gabby Zamora accused Star of being racist, but it backfired when followers dug up offensive social media posts from Zamora, Manny MUA, Nikita Dragun and the aforementioned Laura Lee.

Toby Turners Allegations

Famous for his literal trailers and humorous music videos, Toby Turner, aka Tobuscus, came under fire in Spring 2016 for accusations from ex-girlfriend and YouTube personality AprilEfff. Soon after, another of Turners ex-girlfriends Amelia Talon came forward saying that Turner had pressured her into using drugs and had also physically hurt her. Jaclyn Glenn, another ex, did speak out in support of Turner, though she also claimed that she often felt pressured, but not forced, to do things during their relationship. In November, she posted again saying that Turner was incessantly messaging her and that she just wanted the whole ordeal to stop.

The Ace Family

On the surface, the Ace Family youtube channel portrays a luxurious and fulfilling family life that any normal person could only dream of. But search the internet using the patriarchs name Austin McBroom and the word scandal, and you wont know where to start with this channel. For one, Austin has been accused of cheating on his wife, assaulting other women and has faced lawsuits related to unpaid bills, namely the foreclosure of their 13 million dollar mansion. Hes also come under severe criticism for his problematic behavior relating to his own children, in particular when he brought his daughter to an adult toy store and posted a video about it to Snapchat. The family has been accused of scamming their audience with various membership programs, and of faking ticket sales to their own events, to inflate the appearance of success. All in all, its a little baffling that they are still allowed to exist on the platform.

Elsagate

Spanning multiple channels, Elsagate changed how YouTube monitors content. The foundations were laid in 2014, when Quebec City-based channel Webs and Tiaras began uploading videos featuring people dressed up as Elsa and Spider-Man in unexpected and disturbing situations. At first glance, the videos seemed family-friendly, and designed to draw in younger viewers. But then things get . . . weird. And inappropriate. The aforementioned Toy Freaks was also caught up in this scandal. It all led YouTube to delete thousands of videos under its new guidelines.

Eugenia Cooney

Beauty YouTuber Eugenia Cooney has been controversial ever since her first video, due to her extremely thin appearance. In 2016, a change.org petition called for YouTube to temporarily ban her account, claiming she has a negative influence on young girls - some of whom say they want to be Eugenia Cooney skinny. Eugenia subsequently stated that she doesnt endorse being underweight, and YouTube refused to ban her account. This in turn sparked heated discussions around the extent of control and influence that people can or should have over others bodies. To this day her videos receive a significant portion of dislikes.

Nicole Arbour & Matthew Santoro

YouTuber Nicole Arbour is best known for her infamous Dear Fat People video, in which she harshly criticized obese people. She made more than a few enemies with her comments, all the while gaining a lot of publicity. However, she came into the news AGAIN for another YouTube-related fiasco. Matthew Santoro, whos best known for his factual list videos, posted a video revealing that he had an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. In a video from January 2016 titled My Abuse Story, he talked about the relationship and the ensuing trauma. It wasnt confirmed that he was referring to Arbour until she posted calling him a little bitch, and stated he was using her for attention. Real classy.

LeafyIsHere

For a while there, LeafyIsHere managed to make a career out of just ridiculing people on YouTube. Guess were all good at something? In 2016, he decided to turn his mean streak onto autistic YouTuber TommyNC2010, making fun of his appearance and behavior. In a tearful response, TommyNC2010 claimed that Leafys toxic fans were sending him death threats. An iDubbbz Content Cop video soon followed, criticizing Leafys repetitive and low quality content, after which Leafys subscriber count began to plummet. He stopped uploading content in December 2017, and YouTube isnt exactly worse off for it!

DramaAlert & the RuneScape Predator

No one can stir up the drama quite like Keemstar of the controversial DramaAlert channel. However, sometimes he and the channel jump the gun, and in this case, someone got hurt. DramaAlert found a news story about a gamer named John Phillips using RuneScape to lure young women, and singled out Twitch streamer Tony as the culprit except he wasnt the guy. Tony soon received death threats and hateful messages, reducing him to tears. YouTuber Scarce entered the scene and called out Keemstars lack of fact checking, stating that the actual predator was still in prison, and that Tony was an innocent man. Keemstar issued an apology video and offered the man money in damages, but many thought sorry wasnt nearly enough.

The Channel Awesome Management Controversy

Theres only so much that people will take. In March 2018, former Channel Awesome employees alleged mistreatment by the companys upper management. They accused the Walker brothers of being incompetent and failing to communicate with producers, and alleged that the company fosters an incredibly sexist working environment. A few months later, a document titled Not So Awesome was released via Google Drive, detailing numerous further complaints. Channel Awesome brushed off the accusations, calling its former employees disgruntled and vindictive - making the situation much, much worse. When the dust settled, only four producers remained, where once there were 40.

CSGO Lotto: TmarTn & TheSyndicateProject

In 2013, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive became more customizable for users, giving them the option of skins. Soon, sites popped up giving users no matter how old they were the chance to trade and gamble these coveted items on Counter-Strike games on Steam. YouTuber HonorTheCall started noticing that Trevor Martin, known as TmarTn, and Tom Cassell of TheSyndicateProject both won a LOT of money on CSGOLotto.com, which was used to win the in-game items. He then uncovered that Martin and Cassell were CSGO Lottos President and Vice President respectively, which they hadnt mentioned. What started as a mother suing the games developer for allowing her young son to gamble soon resulted in a class-action lawsuit against Martin and Cassell, who had broken the Federal Trade Commission rules.

The Myka Stauffer Family Scandal

Family themed YouTube channels always seem ripe for controversy. DaddyOFive is one example, having had their channel terminated for causing mental damage to their own children. But the Myka Stauffer scandal involving her adopted son is one that is even more twisted and bizarre. In 2017, with some help from a GoFundMe, the Stauffers adopted a young boy from China, whom they knew had autism. For several years, audiences got to know their son Huxley and how he was readjusting to his new life and family. Then suddenly, he disappeared from the channels uploads, and the news came out shortly after that he had been rehomed to a new family that supposedly was more able to suit his special needs. While some of their audience may have been sympathetic to the situation, the overall response on social media was one of shock and disgust, with many accusing the Stauffers of exploiting the young child for content.

Sam Peppers Killing Best Friend Prank

Former Big Brother housemate Sam Pepper is now most known for prank videos. In 2014, one of his videos featured him touching women without their consent, but a year later, he went to a whole new level. The video depicts Pepper in disguise, kidnapping online personalities Sam Golbach and Colby Brock, then forcing Golbach to watch Brock get shot. Pepper was shocked by the horrified response, and Golbach expressed the videos point was about living life to the full. When petitions called for Pepper to be banned from YouTube, he responded with a GoFundMe page, promising to delete his YouTube account if pledges hit $1.5 million. By February 2016, Pepper began privatizing his videos and purging his Twitter account before re-emerging as a vlogger.

Shane Dawson & His . . . Jokes

Shane Dawson just keeps piling it on. In 2012, Dawson thought it would be hilarious to perform in blackface at VidCon. It . . . wasnt, and he apologized. In the meantime though, hed joked - if thats the word - about Googling inappropriate topics relating to kids. He offered a quote unquote justification for this behavior. It all resurfaced in 2018, when he was lambasted on Twitter. That same year, he copped criticism for his documentary on Jake Paul, in which he asked a marriage and family counselor if Jake Paul was a sociopath. Oh, and then in March 2019, someone dug up a clip of him talking about doing disgusting things to a cat.

TanaCon

If Tana Mongeau will be remembered for anything, it will be the utter dumpster fire that was Tanacon. When VidCon refused to brand Tana a featured creator, she created the self-named TanaCon in retaliation, hosting it at the Anaheim Marriott Suites on the same day as VidCon. The event was sold well over capacity, leaving fans stuck outside in the sun for hours. And when they got inside, the convention was little more than a hotel hallway with nothing to do. The gift bags given to VIPs consisted of wristbands and TanaCondoms. Frustrated attendees compared it to Fyre Festival, and security shut the whole thing down after just a few hours.

The Fine Brothers React World

Best known for their reaction videos, the Fine Brothers announced plans in 2016 to license their format to creators and trademark the term react. Many saw this as a move to capitalize on what is a very common format, and the Fine Brothers were met with heavy criticism from both viewers and fellow content creators. YouTubers with reaction videos were slammed with copyright strikes or requests for compensation, and the Fine Brothers suffered a loss of around 675,000 subscribers. On February 1st, 2016, Rafi and Benny Fine halted the React World program and decided to face the music, but its going to be hard to ever forget this bad business move.

PewDiePies Racism Scandals

2017 was NOT PewDiePies year. In February, the Wall Street Journal pegged nine of his videos as including anti-Semitic content and Nazi imagery. PewDiePie apologized, while also claiming that the media had taken his jokes and statements out of context. Nonetheless, he was fired from Disneys Maker Studios for going too far. The following September, Pewds uttered the n-word during a live stream of PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds, and had to apologize again, calling himself an idiot. Then in December 2018, he was called out for promoting E;R, an anti-Semitic, homophobic, and sexist video essayist. Pewds said he wasnt aware of E;Rs controversial content, but many found it irresponsible that he hadnt looked further into the channel.

Logan Paul in Aokigahara

In the history of YouTube scandals, the time Logan Paul filmed someone who took their own life deserves a whole chapter. The video saw Paul and friends traveling into Japans infamous Aokigahara forest, a location that is said to house the ghosts of the dead. The group eventually came upon a corpse hanging from a tree. They filmed the body, their reactions, and then shockingly uploaded the whole thing to YouTube. The backlash was swift, with even well-known celebrities chiming in. Sophie Turner called him an idiot, and Aaron Paul said he should rot in hell. The scandal and Logans other antics eventually led to YouTube temporarily suspending advertising on his channels.

What other YouTube scandal that shook your world did we miss from our list? Let us know in the comments!