In the Sept. 13 episode of Bunnie Xo’s podcast, Dumb Blonde, guest Jeffree Star opened up about the YouTube beauty community, specifically in the aftermath of the 2019 feud between Tati Westbrook and James Charles.
The drama between Westbrook and Charles escalated when Westbrook posted a video on Instagram about a friend who “betrayed” her, and followers quickly pieced together that it was Charles. Charles posted a public apology to Westbrook, but she responded with a 40-minute YouTube video titled “Bye Sister.”
In the video, Westbrook, who said she was encouraged by Star and fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson to go through with filming, accused Charles of spreading rumors about her and brought up sexual harassment allegations against him.
“Bye Sister” ultimately burned a lot of bridges between beauty YouTubers. Charles lost hundreds of thousands of followers, and more allegations against him started to come out. In 2020, Westbrook accused Star and Dawson of “manipulating” her in a since-deleted video, and claimed Star had “blackmail” on various influencers. Dawson called the accusation in a deleted tweet, “a f***ing lie.”
To Xo, Star explained that, contrary to accusations that he was “jealous” of Charles, his intention for working with Westbrook was to “expose” the allegations against Charles.
“I got cocky and thought that I could ‘expose’ someone else’s trauma and story to ex out someone else,” he said. “That person did not want me to, therefore this person is still free. And to see this person still out there — they’re not thriving like they used to be at all — it’s just interesting.”
Star did not name who he was talking about but went on to call the person the “biggest piece of s*** in the beauty industry.”
“He did a video allegedly — not allegedly — admitting to talking with minors. One of the most vile human beings on this planet,” Star said. “I have never really talked or addressed these things, but he is a literal f**king monster.”
“You’ll have to tell me who it is so I can stay clear of that human,” Xo responded.
“Oh, his name is James Charles,” Star answered.
In Charles’s 14-minute apology video titled “Holding Myself Accountable” — which has been reuploaded by another YouTube user since Charles deleted it — he admitted to exchanging messages with people he thought were 18, but were actually 16. Other allegations against Charles were about inappropriate online interactions.
“People aren’t ready for the truth,” Star concluded. “Everyone wants to keep their mouths shut — why? If someone is bad, let people know.”
Star and Charles were initially friends, starting back in 2017 when they both were invited to Kim Kardashian’s KKW beauty launch. Charles had just started YouTube two years prior, while Star had been posting makeup tutorials and reviews on his channel since 2006.
In May 2018, the two collaborated for the first time and went on to film several more videos together. The following year, Star, Charles and Westbrook produced a video for Charles’s channel that has more than 22 million views. During the video, Charles said, “Tati and Jeffree have both been major inspirations and friends to me since day one.”
After Westbrook posted “Bye Sister,” beauty YouTube fans were eager to see how Star would react. Star has since deleted his tweets, but in one circulated screenshot, Star allegedly referenced the allegations against Charles as to why Star and his husband banned him from their home.
Following Charles’s apology video to “Bye Sister,” Star filmed a response video where he said, “There was a lot of rumors, and sadly I let that get to me.”
“James, I want to say that I should have never sent you those messages, I should have been a better friend, I know that now and even if we weren’t close friends anymore, I should have handled it way differently,” he said.
In 2020, Star himself was accused of sexual assault and physical violence by multiple people. His attorney denied the allegations, and Star has been relatively quiet since moving from L.A. to Wyoming.