Beauty Vloggers Accused of Making Racist Comments
Lately, there's been no shortage of drama in the beauty vlogger community, especially surrounding Jeffree Star, Laura Lee, Manny MUA, and Gabriel Zamora. Fueling the controversy, social media users are unearthing vloggers' dirty laundry for the world to see, including past racist comments from some of the aforementioned influencers. Though most of the racial and derogatory comments were made back in 2012 — and were deleted since — screenshots live on forever and vloggers are having to answer for posts they thought were erased for good. True to fashion, most have apologized through lengthy, teary videos but several fans and sponsors aren't buying their remorseful acts.
Don't get us wrong: all hope in the beauty blogosphere is not lost. We still have champions like Jackie Aina, Makeup Shayla and many more who push for inclusivity and celebrate people of different races, genders, sizes, and religions. We can only hope some of the other problematic influencers will change their ways and follow suit. Ahead, 5 vloggers who have been called out for racism and bigotry.
Getty Images1/6Laura Lee
In 2012, the vlogger made a series of tweets that she would soon regret. She wrote, "Tip for all black people if you pull ur pants up you can run from the police faster.. #yourwelcome." Laura also tweeted, "N**gas in Paris? What I thought they couldn't afford to leave Compton. LOL"
Since her tweets resurfaced, it's safe to say that her world has been turned upside down. Although she released a video apologizing for her past behavior, Laura lost major deals and sponsorships with brands including Ulta and Diff Eyewear.
Getty Images2/6Nikita Dragun
Beauty influencer Nikita Dragun allegedly tweeted, "When you're so tan you look black." After the tweets resurfaced Nikita issued an apology on Twitter: "I apologize and feel disappointed in myself. I know I'm better than those old tweets from when I was 15. I hope you can see I am literally a changed person, growing and changing every day to be a good role model for my loving followers."
Getty Images3/6Gabriel Zamora
When Gabriel Zamora appeared to attack Jeffree Star in a social media post, Jeffree's fans dug up one of Gabriel's past tweets using the n-word. "N*gga had nothing better to do than take pictures with my fake glasses," he allegedly wrote in 2012. Since being called out, Gabriel issued an apology in a 49-minute video.
Getty Images4/6Shane Dawson
YouTube comedian and beauty blogger Shane Dawson found himself in hot water after a series of videos resurfaced of him wearing blackface back in 2014. He went on to apologize claiming that he wasn't familiar with the history of blackface and told his fans repeatedly that he isn't racist. He wrote, "Everyone knows I'm not racist but I'm sorry you found this offensive."
Getty Images5/6Jeffree Star
At the peak of his career, a video resurfaced of Jeffree saying a myriad of racist and derogatory comments and using the N-word. He also once said he wanted to throw battery acid on a black woman to lighten her skin to match her foundation. He has since apologized for the video and hateful comments. "You see one moment and it’s literally when I’m 19-years-old," he told Allure at the time. "I’m 31 now and I look back at this and I think it’s so sad that I spoke like that. I'm just tired of being accused of something I'm not."
But that wasn't the only time he was called out for using the N-word. His former hairstylist, Daved Anthony Munoz, recently shared a video and text exchanges which purport to show Jeffree using the N-word and calling Jackie Aina a "gorilla."
On Sept 28, Jackie posted an open letter to Jeffree on her Twitter account explaining why she will no longer overlook his actions, which she believes to be racist in nature. "I have not and will not excuse his blatantly racist behavior and — not his past references to me in derogatory terms, his use of the N words nor his efforts to eliminate spaces and opportunities for people of color," she wrote. "No one in the community should feel like they are protected enough to continuously say things to make black women feel ugly and ashamed in their own skin."
An earlier version of this article stated that Nikita Dragun tweeted "Imagine Being Black. I could never". That was incorrect. She did, however, tweet "when you're so tan you look black." The article has been updated to correct the error.
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