In this episode, I unpack James Charles’ rise to fame — from Ellen, CoverGirl, and Beauty YouTube dominance, to years of controversies, Dramageddon, parasocial power, and repeated allegations involving teenagers. We talk about “yes people,” the absence of PR, accountability without growth, and why something about this story has never quite sat right with me.

This marks the beginning of a possible bonus series looking back at the YouTubers many of us grew up watching — and what happened when the internet stopped clapping.