James Charles is facing major backlash after posting — and later apologizing for — comments directed at a woman who allegedly lost her job during the recent shutdown of Spirit Airlines.
The 26-year-old influencer came under fire online after sharing a video rant on his backup TikTok account in which he criticized a former airline employee who had allegedly sent him a GoFundMe link asking for financial help after being laid off.
The controversy unfolded shortly after reports surfaced that roughly 17,000 workers were affected when Spirit Airlines ceased operations last week. According to James, one of those individuals reached out to him directly with a message asking for support. Instead of ignoring the request privately, he responded publicly in a now-viral video that quickly drew criticism across social media.
In the original rant, James called the woman a “lazy piece of s–t” and accused her of spending more time sending messages to influencers than applying for jobs. The backlash was swift, with many viewers accusing him of being insensitive toward people struggling financially amid widespread economic uncertainty and a difficult job market.
As criticism intensified, James returned to TikTok on Saturday, May 9, with a lengthy apology video acknowledging that his comments were harmful and out of touch.
“Yesterday morning I posted a video on this account talking about how a woman had lost her job at Spirit Airlines and she sent me a message with a Gofundme link asking me to donate,” he began.
“And the video is basically me yelling at the camera, being super upset and frustrated because this person had never followed me, never supported me before. And it was clear that she had basically copied and pasted this DM to every influencer and celebrity she possibly could asking for a handout. And I called her lazy, I said she was stupid, and I said she should have spent the time that she spent copying and pasting the message applying for jobs instead.”
James then admitted the video “was f–king stupid,” adding that his response was “rude,” “obnoxious,” “privileged,” and “completely f–king unnecessary.”
“This video was f–king stupid. It was rude, it was obnoxious, it was privileged, and most importantly, it was completely f–king unnecessary. When I saw that DM, I absolutely had the choice to ignore it and say absolutely nothing at all and move on with my day, but instead, I couldn’t even tell you why. Her message just triggered me, and I decided instead to make a video about it. And I bashed her, and 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.”
The influencer went on to say he had unfairly assumed the woman was simply mass messaging celebrities instead of actively trying to rebuild her life after losing her job.
“I have no idea what was going on in her life, and I should have never assumed that she was just copying and pasting this DM as an easy way out. I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
James also acknowledged broader frustrations many people are currently experiencing within the job market, noting that he personally knows people struggling to find employment.
“But what I’m sure sucks even f–king more is not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from and not being sure whether or not you’re gonna be able to put food on the table for yourself and your family,” he said.
He continued by reflecting on his own career trajectory and privilege, admitting that his success as a content creator came with luck and opportunity many people do not have access to.
“And if this person happened to choose sending out Gofundme links as their method of trying to make it by, who am I to judge? Especially when you consider the fact that my method of figuring it out and getting by was making makeup videos online.”
“I just happened to get really lucky, and now, years later, I’m in a blessed and privileged position.”
James concluded the apology by saying he hopes to contact the former employee directly to apologize and offer assistance if she feels comfortable responding.
“I genuinely treat this spam page like I’m on Facetime with you guys,” he added. “I love to laugh and tell you stories and rant and scream at the camera and joke around with y’all, but sometimes I genuinely forget how many people are watching.”
The incident has sparked broader online conversations surrounding influencer culture, public accountability, and the growing divide between internet celebrity lifestyles and the financial realities many followers are currently facing.
While some viewers praised James for issuing a direct apology and acknowledging his privilege, others questioned why the original video was posted in the first place. Either way, the controversy quickly became one of the internet’s most talked-about creator scandals of the week.
