A 16-Year-Old Just Accused James Charles of Inappropriate Behavior — Here's How He Responded
Published Feb. 26 2021, 8:41 p.m. ET
Six years ago, James Charles launched his YouTube channel and jumpstarted his journey to social media stardom. At only 17-years-old, the one-day influencer went viral and since his internet debut, James has collaborated with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and JoJo Siwa — amassing more than 27 million followers to-date
However, recent allegations may be the cause of the beauty influencer’s downfall. With the recent drama that has surfaced on social media, why is James Charles being accused of inappropriate behavior and grooming?
James Charles was accused of grooming a minor on social media.
On Feb. 26, 2021, a 16-year-old boy took to TikTok to accuse James Charles of predatory behavior — even offering receipts of their back-and-forth communication that included illicit photos and messages. According to the user, who goes by Isaiyah, he initially reached out to James for mentorship but was later met with sexual advances.
James has since responded to the allegations, claiming that he was totally unaware of Isaiyah’s age during their brief communication. In a message posted on Twitter, the beauty influencer wrote, “There’s a video going around about me on TikTok and Twitter of a guy calling me a groomer and I want to address it right away. The accusation that I have groomed this person is completely false.”
James went on to recount the details of his encounter with the TikToker, who the influencer says initially lied about his age. James continued, “Last week, I came across someone on my Instagram explore page, saw he followed me, and added him on Snapchat. The next morning, I woke up to several snaps from this person being excited I added him back, saying he loved me, and also lewd photos of himself in the shower.”
The 21-year-old, who says that he ended communication with Isaiyah immediately after learning that he was 16, said that he will now ask for the “ID or passport” of every potential partner that approaches him. He added, "I’m not victim-blaming him or victimizing myself either, simply sharing what happened, and what happened was not okay. After false allegations like this in the past, I would never knowingly engage with anyone underage and put my life on the line for a few snapchats.”
James was previously accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Charli D’Amelio.
Isaiyah’s allegations against James come only months after he was accused of predatory behavior by fellow influencer Trisha Paytas, who also chimed in on the recent accusations. She tweeted, “James Charles and Sia get away with grooming under the guise of being a 'mentor' - that’s disgusting. It’s how a lot of these child sexual assault cases go unnoticed. I hate it so so much.”
In the past, Trisha has accused James of having an inappropriate relationship with social media star Charli D’Amelio and his former mentor Tati Westbrook. Trisha previously wrote, "Poor parenting on [your] parents end James for allowing [you] to be friends with Tati, a middle-aged woman while [you] were a teen. Unfortunately, [you] were the victim then. But now Charli is the victim, [you] being friends with a minor is predatory."