In a now deleted tweet, Shane Dawson addressed drama within the YouTube beauty community and how it has led him to reconsider the future of his own channel.
The tweet featured four screenshots of a statement written in the iPhone Notes app, and started with a discussion regarding that now infamous video Tati Westbrook uploaded in June 2019 about fellow YouTuber James Charles. Shane acknowledges that he knew Tati was going to be filming the video, but shares that he didn’t push her to do it, nor did he “orchestrate” it.
I think the tweet was deleted but here are #ShaneDawson ‘s final words on the Beauty World. I don’t agree with some of it but it’s his life so whatever. pic.twitter.com/MOLIlbNl4v
— BlackLivesMatter 😭🧡 (@arangatongue) June 21, 2020
He then went on to discuss his collaborations with Jeffree Star and how both YouTube series worked to change his life. However, he then shares they taught him about the “scandals” within the beauty community: “The beauty gurus who are ALWAYS involved in scandals are ALL THE FUCKING SAME. They are all attention seeking game playing egocentric narcissistic vengeful two faced ticking time bombs ready to explode. And I’m OVER it.”
According to Shane, the act of showing “receipts” to paint oneself in a specific light is “weird to me and I will never engage in that”, and he then goes into how he has specifically spoken with Jeffree about how he doesn’t agree with some of the tactics he’s used in the past. “He’s VERY aware of the fact that I don’t agree with many of the ways he approaches situations and I have been honest with him about needing to make some changes,” he writes.
Yo how is Shane Dawson say that he is done with the makeup world but had a relaunch of his makeup palette with Jeffree Star today, like make it make sense???? pic.twitter.com/MgPEA8MTJk
— #BLM (@itizzevans) June 21, 2020
As a result of the drama, Shane shares that he’s decided to leave the community: “I can’t take the drama anymore and it’s not how I am wired so I’M OUT. It’s draining, exhausting, depressing, and sometimes amazing. But for me the amazing is outweighed by the bad. I can’t have a pit in my stomach every day waiting for the next ‘scandal’ or the next ‘expose video’. It’s going to give me health issues and I’m done caring about it anymore.”
Returning to the Tati and James drama that unfolded after Tati uploaded her video, he concedes that he experienced the same reaction as everyone else when she approached him about how she was feeling, but claims he didn’t realise how “intense” it was going to be. He doesn’t believe Tati is the “villain” in the situation and shares that she was likely tired of how she was being treated by those within the beauty community.
“I still believe her on a lot of what she said and I believe she felt it was what she needed to do at the time,” he explains. “Does she regret it? Probably. Does it mean we should see James as some poor innocent sweet angel? No. Don’t get it twisted. Him and Jeffree have always been at the TOP of the dramatic guru list and I mean that with love.”
stop babying shane dawson. he’s not a sensitive child, he’s a grown man with a racist past. he’s tried to out people, he’s friends with jeffree star and trisha paytas. he constantly manipulates his audience and what he tweeted last night was NOT an apology
— ty (@tylersketches) June 21, 2020
He then goes on to explain how he didn’t warn James about the video “for reasons that I will never discuss”, before going on to write that the pair have spoken in private and that he feels James has grown from the situation: “Do I think he was a young ecocentric power hungry guru who needed to be served a piece of humble pie the size of the fucking Empire State Building? YES. Has he grown as a person since then? It really seems like it! And that’s AMAZING. I’m truly happy if he’s realized how his ego was affecting others which he did address in his No More Lies video.”
In regards to Jeffree’s involvement, Shane shares that, while he doesn’t think Jeffree “orchestrated this whole situation”, he was upset about what he’d heard, sharing that he feels Jeffree took it too far when he shared a series of tweets about what was occurring.
Shane then moves on to discuss how he is tired of his name being used by drama channels, as this specific incident occurred a year ago. He also shares that he regrets putting the drama in the trailer for his latest beauty series with Jeffree, sharing that he is “mad that I chose tea over my morals” before going on to apologise to Tati and James directly.
Shane saying “the make up community is negativity first make up second”… like do these people realize there are other MUA’s that aren’t racist and horrible? The beauty community isn’t just Jeffree Star, James Charles and Nikita Dragun…. we are literally here vibing
— fire lord cas (@casxvii) June 21, 2020
He urges people not to get involved in the drama of the YouTube community, sharing that there shouldn’t be this “they must be perfect or they’re cancelled” mentality that many online hold. However, he does concede that many in the community thrive off this negativity, writing: “Let’s not pretend that the beauty world isn’t negativity first, makeup second. It’s just how it is and I’m sick of people pretending to be so above it all.”
While he shares that he will continue to support beauty channels, he no longer wants to be involved in it and will only be doing makeup as a hobby for now on: “As for my channels, I’m done with the beauty world. I love what I was able to create with Jeffree and I’m sure people are going to assume I only did it for the money but that’s not true. I just am choosing to no longer be apart of that world.”
As for the future of his channel, Shane shares he’s going to go back to why he started it in the first place, which “was to make things that bring me joy (not drama) and to make movies one day”.
funny how shane and jeffree talk about being dumb at their 20s for being RACIST but james charles at 19 needed to be canceled with fire and blood and served "a piece of humble pie" for being… egotistical?
shane and jeffree are both disgusting but we been knew. pic.twitter.com/HZkKRLSwux
— 🍒 (@bartttender) June 21, 2020
The release of the statement led to backlash on Twitter, with many tweeting about how both Shane and Jeffree should be “cancelled”, given racist incidents and actions that occurred in their pasts. Both their names were trending on the site overnight and into the next day as a result of the response.
The reaction led Shane to delete the initial statement and replace it with another tweet, which read: “I deleted everything. I’m done. For those who wanted me to ‘address it’ I did. I’m sure u can find it reposted somewhere. But I don’t want this energy in my life or on my timeline. I’m too sensitive for this shit and I’m done.”
I deleted everything. I’m done. For those who wanted me to “address it” I did. I’m sure u can find it reposted somewhere. But I don’t want this energy in my life or on my timeline. I’m too sensitive for this shit and I’m done.
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) June 21, 2020
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