James Charles issued a groveling apology after receiving fierce backlash over a now-deleted video of him after she reached out to him for financial help.
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Influencer Apologizes for Mocking Laid-Off Worker
James Charles issued a groveling apology after receiving fierce backlash over a now-deleted video of him mocking a laid-off Spirit Airlines worker after she rea...
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The influencer, 26, who is worth a reported $22 million, returned to on Friday to address the online fury.
He called out his own 'privilege' while admitting the video, where he called the former Spirit Airlines employee a 'lazy sh**,' was incredibly 'rude' and uncalled for.
'This video was f****** stupid,' he began. 'It was rude, it was obnoxious, it was privileged, and most importantly, it was completely f****** unnecessary,' he told his 2.8 million followers.
'It was obnoxious, and I shamed her for asking for help in a situation where she was clearly really struggling, and this could have been her absolute last resort,' he said.
The media personality added that when he first came across the DM from the former Spirit Airlines employee, he 'absolutely had the choice to ignore it and say absolutely nothing at all and move on with my day.'
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James Charles issued a groveling apology after receiving fierce backlash over a now-deleted video of him mocking a laid-off Spirit Airlines worker after she reached out to him for financial help
The budget airline shut down all operations last week, leaving 17,000 employees out of work
Charles said that he couldn't explain 'why her message just triggered me and I decided instead to make a video about it.'
He admitted to his followers that he shouldn't have 'assumed she was just copying and pasting this DM as an easy way out.'
Charles then shared that what 'sucks even f***ing more is not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from and not being sure whether you will be able to put food on the table for yourself and your family'; seen in April in Indio
Charles first responded with a now-deleted video on his social media, blasting the woman as a 'lazy piece of s*** and mocking her request for help
Charles didn't hold back, offering what many saw as biting advice.
'I'm sure they do, sweetheart. I'm sure they do. You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Yeah, try that.
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'Because in the time that it took you to copy and paste the same f*** ass message to myself, who you don't follow, by the way, and probably a hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could've applied for a hundred other jobs.
'But you didn't, 'cause you're a lazy piece of s***, and you're entitled, and you think that influencers and celebrities should fund your life for you. Why would I ever help you?'
A major sticking point seemed to be that the woman didn't follow him.
'You're not a fan, you don't even follow me, you've never supported me, this is your first time DMing. And you think that I'm gonna send you money because you lost your job?!
'Oh my God, welcome to the real world, sweetheart. People lose their jobs every f***** day.
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'And you're white, pretty, and able-bodied; you're in a much better position than a lot of other people out here who are trying clearly much harder to make a better life for themselves. Why would I f**** help you?!
The video has since been removed, but screen-recordings are circulating online, sparking widespread backlash from fans who have slammed Charles for his harsh response, calling him 'entitled', 'elitist' and 'out of touch'; seen in 2025 in L.A.
'I'm not f****** helping you. All you did was lost your job. Welcome to the real world. I could at least understand if you were like, 'James, I'm a longtime fan, here's a trillion years of DMs and my support for you, I love you.'
He added, 'I'm suffering with a really rare genetic disease that there's no cure for, and I'm trying to raise money for myself and other people that have this.' Maybe I would help.
'This b***h, you lost your f****** job? Ugh! What are we gonna do? Nothing! I'm gonna do nothing, you know what you need to do? Go find a f****** new one girl! Put some effort into the workplace! Ugh!'
The video has since been removed, but screen-recordings are circulating online, sparking widespread backlash from fans who have slammed Charles for his harsh response, calling him 'entitled', 'elitist' and 'out of touch.'
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