James Charles apology: what did the YouTuber say and what has he been accused of

YouTube star James Charles has apologised after he admitted messaging underage boys.

The social media star admitted that he had previously “flirted” with two 16-year-olds.

Charles said: “In both of these cases, I added these people on Snapchat, asked how old they were right away, was told that they were 18, believed them, engaged in a flirty conversation and then later on found out that they were actually 16.”

Charles claimed that he had proof that the accusers had lied about their age, but did not share it during the 14-minute video.

Charles was dropped from Youtube show Instant Influencer following the allegations.

What are some of the main allegations facing Charles?

In February 2021, Charles was accused of grooming by a 16-year-old who used TikTok to share screenshots from flirty conversations and photos he had sent to Charles.

Charles then came out in response on Twitter and said the teenager originally gave a fake age of 18 and, after they flirted, Charles second guessed his age and the teen backtracked, revealing he was 16.

The vlogger went on to say he “will ask to see the passport and ID” of every guy he wants to chat to.

On April 2, Charles uploaded a video admitting he had engaged in "flirty” conversations with two 16-year-olds.

The beauty guru, 21, shared a 14-minute video titled “holding myself accountable” and said he had engaged in “flirty” conversations with two 16-year-olds.

Charles, who has more than 25 million subscribers on YouTube, said he believed the boys were 18 – the age of consent in California, where he lives – when they started talking on Snapchat.

He said: “In both of these cases, I added these people on Snapchat, asked how old they were right away, was told that they were 18, believed them, engaged in a flirty conversation and then later on found out that they were actually 16.

“Upon finding out, I was immediately embarrassed and blocked both people.”

In 2019 he was accused of trying to “manipulate” people’s sexuality, with his fellow YouTube star Tati Westbrook saying Charles had tried to “trick a straight man into thinking he’s gay”.

What is Instant Influencer - and why has Charles been dropped?

Instant Influencer is a YouTube original show where six influencers take each other on to win $50,000.

In series one, winner Ashley Strong bagged the top prize money and the chance to collaborate on Charles’ YouTube channel.

But US Magazine, Variety, has since confirmed that Charles will not be hosting another season.

A YouTube rep declined to provide a reason for Charles’ departure from the show and told the publication “We can confirm Season 2 of the YouTube originals series ‘Instant Influencer’ will take a new creative direction, including a new host.

“We thank James for a great first season, and look forward to building on the show’s success by expanding the opportunity to showcase a diversity of creators across the YouTube platform in our upcoming season.”

He has been dropped one month since the 16-year-old claimed he was sent images on Snapchat by Charles.

Who is James Charles?

YouTuber and social media star, James Charles, shot to fame back in 2016 after he shared his senior yearbook snaps on Twitter.

The posts went viral, with make-up fans in awe of his skills, and the New York high school student went on to become the first male CoverGirl model and then made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Now, he has 25.7 million YouTube subscribers and 36 million followers on TikTok where he posts content which is mostly make-up focused, including product reviews and tutorials.