Colleen Ballinger Miranda Sings Responds To Allegations
This story incorporates dialogue of grooming and racism.
Earlier this 12 months, allegations surfaced in opposition to Colleen Ballinger, aka Miranda Sings, that the YouTube persona had engaged in inappropriate conduct with youthful followers earlier in her profession — with one fan alleging that she “groomed” him.
Adam McIntyre claimed that Colleen despatched him a pair of her panties and a bra when he was simply 13 years previous — an allegation that she confirmed in 2020 with a video titled “addressing everything,” by which she referred to her actions as “completely stupid.”
Adam additionally alleged that Colleen introduced up intercourse a number of occasions in a bunch chat referred to as “weenies” with different followers when he was a young person, by asking him if he was a virgin and what his “favorite position” was.
One other fan, Brey, instructed the Huffington Submit that Miranda would “trauma dump” on him and different younger followers on the “weenies” chat after her divorce from YouTuber Joshua Evans in 2016 — and that they had been basically enlisted to defend her on-line within the wake of their cut up.
The fast fallout was swift, and issues solely bought worse from there. Colleen responded to the preliminary wave of allegations with a 10-minute YouTube video that featured her singing free-associatively whereas enjoying the ukulele, addressing the allegations and successfully criticizing the wave of backlash in opposition to her.
The video was roundly mocked and have become one thing of an instantaneous meme — and this was earlier than April Korto Quioh, who labored as a writers’ assistant, a showrunner’s assistant, and a writers’ PA on Colleen’s short-lived Netflix present Haters Again Off!, detailed allegations of racist habits and disturbing content material that Colleen allegedly needed to work into the present.
April, who’s Black, alleged that Colleen “had a knack for making ‘funny,’ biting feedback concerning the individuals round her, and since all of us had her to thank for our jobs, we had been pressured to only go along with it. She noticed no difficulty with commenting on my hair, or my garments, or asking about my private life. Her lack of boundaries was exceptional.”
April additionally stated that Colleen allegedly requested writers to work in storylines by which Miranda and her uncle Jim would “be caught in compromising positions or stomach-churning moments of intimacy that could always be easily explained away by a clueless Miranda.”
Since all of this emerged, Colleen canceled tour dates and basically went radio silent — that’s, till this weekend, when she returned with a brand new YouTube video referred to as “fall vlog” by which she addresses the allegations, in addition to the notorious ukulele video.
“Clearly, the final video that I posted on right here… It’s actually embarrassing, to say the least,” she said after apologizing for being “gone so lengthy.”
“I was being accused of some pretty awful things, and I was just mad, and I should have handled that situation with maturity and empathy,” she stated. “However as an alternative, I simply let my ego take over, and I’m actually upset in myself.”
Colleen went on to say that there have been “moments” the place her comedy was “immature and inappropriate” throughout her “15-year career.”
“And there were times when I did not put enough thought into some of my fan interactions, and because of that behavior people got hurt,” she added. “I’m so sorry.”
“I by no means needed to harm anyone, nevertheless it’s clear that I did, and I really feel like there’s in all probability people who find themselves upset or really feel deserted by me due to my silence over the previous couple of months.”
Colleen went on to clarify her silence following the allegations, claiming that she “needed to take time to make sure I was listening and learning as much as possible” and “additionally wanted to get the assistance that I wanted to be okay.”
“Nearly all of the previous couple of months has simply been spent in remedy,” she later added. “I’m back, and I’m here now. I am not a perfect person, and there are plenty of things in my past that I wish I could go back and redo and fix and change.”
“I don’t have management over the issues individuals say about me. I solely have management over my actions transferring ahead, and so I’m going to do every little thing that I can to ensure that I create a optimistic, form, inclusive, protected area on-line with my content material. If you wish to be part of my journey on-line, I might like to have you ever. And if not, I utterly perceive.”
“I don’t anticipate anybody to welcome me again with open arms,” Colleen also said. “I don’t anticipate to alter anybody’s thoughts with this video.”
“I simply needed to come back on right here and say that I’m sorry, and I needed to try to present people who it’s doable for somebody to develop and study and be higher after making errors many, a few years in the past.”
You’ll be able to watch all the video right here.
For those who or somebody you understand has skilled sexual assault, you possibly can name the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service supplier. You can too seek for your native middle right here.
In case you are involved {that a} youngster is experiencing or could also be in peril of abuse, you possibly can name or textual content the Nationwide Baby Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (4.A.CHILD); service could be offered in over 140 languages.
