In case you didn't know, Tati was James's first mentor in the industry. James often talks about how much he loves Tati and how she's the reason he got into makeup. Tati even flew James out in 2017 to do her wedding makeup. Basically, James and Tati's bond is canon in the YouTube beauty community.<doc-sep>Gather round, children, it’s teatime. Okay, so either you’ve been following every single development in YouTube stars James Charles and Tati Westbrook’s crazy drama or you’re just now catching up and trying to understand what the hell is going on. Either way, a lot has gone down this past year and we could all use a review. Before I get into the weeds, I’d like to point out that while YouTube drama is pretty common these days (there are even hundreds of “drama channels” dedicated to it), few feuds make it as far into the mainstream as this one has. What started as a tiff over vitamins has turned into something way bigger—and way more serious, especially now that Tati posted another 40-minute video and lawyers are involved. Here goes: This is James Charles: Neilson Barnard Getty Images At just 21 years old, James Charles ha s had the biggest beauty channel on YouTube. It all started back in September 2016, when his senior yearbook photos went viral on Twitter: This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. So I retook my senior photos & brought my ring light with me so my highlight would be poppin. I love being extra 💀 pic.twitter.com/7Qu1yu8U2P — James Charles (@jamescharles) September 5, 2016 Before his viral fame, a couple of outlets highlighted James as a member of the “beauty boys” community, but it was really his yearbook photo that launched him into the public eye. He caught the attention of major makeup companies and soon became CoverGirl’s first-ever CoverBoy. He literally made history. After that, his Instagram and YouTube channel blew up, and he amassed more than 16 million subscribers in the span of three years. His makeup videos rack up millions of views, and he’s collaborated with huge celebs, including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Iggy Azalea. He’s become more than “just” a YouTube star—he’s created his own eyeshadow palette, designed an apparel line, and even brought his makeup tutorials on tour. Oh, and he attended the 2019 Met Gala. NBD. This is Tati Westbrook: Emma McIntyre Getty Images Tati Westbrook is among the OG beauty bloggers. She started posting videos in 2010 and over the years, she became one of the most respected makeup channels on YouTube. Now at the age of 38, she’s taken on the role of a mother figure to many of her fans (and fellow YouTube personalities). Tati and James first met a few years ago when James was just starting out in the industry in Los Angeles. Because James’s parents lived across the country in New York, Tati and her husband, James Westbrook, quickly took on parental roles, providing him with—as James himself has said—love, support, advice, opportunities, a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. Tati essentially mentored James, and she consistently supported his projects, both on her own YouTube channel and IRL. But apparently, James didn’t exactly return the favor—and that’s where this drama all began. April 22, 2019 James posts an Instagram Story promoting SugarBearHair. SugarBearHair, which sells vitamins and supplements, is a direct competitor of Tati’s supplement company, Halo Beauty. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Later that day, Tati posts a lengthy, teary-eyed Instagram Story wherein she talks about feeling “used” and “betrayed.” She doesn’t mention James by name, but fans quickly figure out who she’s talking about. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Once James finds out that he hurt Tati’s feelings, he posts an apology on his Instagram Story. Instagram (@jamescharles) May 4, 2019 A few weeks pass, and Tati stays pretty silent on the matter...until fellow beauty blogger (and friend of James) Gabriel Zamora posts a YouTube video titled “Makeup and Opinions.” In the video, he challenges Tati to publicly clarify the situation. And boy, does she deliver. May 10, 2019 Tati uploads a 43-minute-long YouTube video titled “BYE SISTER...” (“sister” is a word commonly used by James and his fans). In the video, she goes into detail about how she provided for James, explains why she feels so betrayed by the SugarBearHair situation, and even expresses suspicion that his explanation for posting the ad—that he was being mobbed at Coachella and SugarBearHair provided security for him in exchange for the post—is total BS. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. But she also addresses another topic: James’s alleged pattern of pursuing straight men. James has been called out for his aggressive flirting in the past, and he himself has admitted that he likes “straight” guys. But apparently, behind the scenes, a lot of people, including Tati, thought his actions toward these men (who identify as both straight and bi-curious) were predatory, and Tati claims she warned him about his behavior. Here’s what she says in the video: “You know, it’s really disgusting to manipulate someone’s sexuality. You are using your fame, your power, your money to play with people’s emotions. You’re threatening to ruin them, you’re threatening to embarrass them, and you’re doing that to have them behave sexually in your favor, even if they’re straight, and you know what? That’s not okay.” Later that day, James posts a response to Tati. In an eight-minute-long video, James apologizes to both Tati and her husband for everything he put them through. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Although James restates that the Coachella story is true, he says he isn’t going to put up a fight or show “receipts” to prove it. “At this point, the truth really does not matter, it’s the feelings that do,” he says. “No matter what happened, I hurt two very, very important people. They’ve been really, really loyal to me, and I betrayed that. It sucks, and I wish that more than anything I could take it back.” James also addresses the “boy situation” and expresses his regret over publicizing his love life. “I’ve been involved in a lot of very unique and strange situations that have left people confused or upset, and I’ve learned the hard way about ways that I can interact with boys that I’m interested in and also ones that I should or shouldn’t be talking to,” he said. Finally, James confirms Tati’s claim that she warned him about his behavior and admits that “she was right.” May 11, 2019 The plot thickens. Singer Zara Larsson posts a clip from Tati’s video in a now-deleted tweet, and writes, “I’m cackling ’cause he hit up my boyfriend in the DMs several times knowing damn well he’s straight.” Yikes. May 12, 2019 Jeffree Star, a former friend of James, jumps into the drama with a series of tweets. After James’s younger brother, Ian, tweeted, “Why does everyone act so tough over the internet?” Jeffree quoted the tweet with some questions of his own. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. deleted tweet by Jeffree Star to James Charles’ brother Ian Jeffrey. pic.twitter.com/oys22QODGX — ig: dingdongyourcareergone 🥳 (@yourcareergone) May 12, 2019 In addition to calling James a “predator,” Jeffree also says James is “a danger to society,” revealing that his boyfriend, Nathan, had banned James from their house. Tati also hops on Twitter that night to say there would be no new video on her channel the next day because her heart was “still too heavy.” This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. There won't be a video tomorrow. My heart is still too heavy. I feel like I need to remind you that we can hold truth & inspire change without grabbing onto hate. Honor your blessings, don't abuse them. Celebrating pain will only bring it to your door. love you guys, see you soon — Tati Westbrook (@GlamLifeGuru) May 13, 2019 “I feel like I need to remind you that we can hold truth & inspire change without grabbing on to hate,” she wrote. “Honor your blessings, don’t abuse them. Celebrating pain will only bring it to your door. Love you guys, see you soon.” May 13, 2019 Nikita Dragun, another beauty blogger, posts screenshots of her texts with James about the SugarBearHair-at-Coachella situation. The iMessage exchange shows James asking Nikita to help get him a Coachella artist pass from SugarBearHair because he’s “getting attacked” in the VIP section. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. heard a situation needed some clarification 👀 my friend was in an emergency and texted me in the moment... unfortunately since @dragunbeauty used all of our marketing budget on the 𝓯𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓼𝔂, i connected him with sugar bear. nothing shady. pic.twitter.com/fNNtMReApm — Nikita Dragun (@NikitaDragun) May 14, 2019 Nikita posted the screenshots in an attempt to corroborate James’s story, but fans were skeptical. Some found the time stamps questionable because the entire conversation took place within two minutes. Others speculated that the conversation was preplanned so that James could have an excuse for partnering with SugarBearHair (which, according to Tati, he had previously talked major sh*t about). So even though Nikita was trying to bolster James’s story, the texts actually disprove his claim that SugarBearHair reached out to him. The texts make it look like he made contact first. May 14, 2019 Nikita addresses the speculation about the time stamps. She says there are screen recordings of the texts and the only thing she edits is her “waist on FaceTune.” This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. u really think i have the time to fake texts? the only thing i edit is my waist on facetune sis. they have the screen recording of the messages 👀💯🐉🔥 — Nikita Dragun (@NikitaDragun) May 14, 2019 May 15, 2019 James is seen in public for the first time since he posted his apology video. Paparazzi caught him walking through the Brisbane airport and asked him point-blank if he sexually harasses straight men. James ignored the pap and kept walking with his team around him. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. James Charles is asked about his scandal while arriving at the Brisbane airport. pic.twitter.com/wqu3NMDD8r — Pop Crave (@PopCraveMusic) May 15, 2019 May 16, 2019 Late in the evening, Tati posts another video, this time entitled “Why I Did It.” In the video, she explains that she had decided to post the 43-minute “BYE SISTER” video on May 10 because she wanted to “reach someone who I found completely unreachable.” “It was a last-ditch effort for me to really be loud and vocal and to wake up someone that I really love,” she explains, teary-eyed. You can watch it all for yourself below: This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. May 18, 2019<doc-sep>
The biggest news story in the world right now started with a fight over beauty supplements. For Tati Westbrook, it wasn’t the repeated ‘bad behaviour’ of her friend James Charles that urged her to call him out publicly. It wasn’t the allegations of predatory behaviour, or the time he joked about contracting Ebola because he was travelling to Africa. It wasn’t when he put his foot in his mouth while trying to explain his sexuality. In all those instances, 37-year-old Tati seemingly excused her friend, believing that people make mistakes, especially when they’re teenagers, and that doing one questionable thing doesn’t define a person’s character. Then James Charles endorsed a rival vitamin company to her own. In a 43-minute video uploaded to YouTube last Friday, the 37-year-old described how she felt “gutted,” “disrespected,” and “really lost in the [beauty] community”. “It wasn’t specifically just about vitamins or about Halo,” she said, referring to her supplement brand, Halo Beauty. “But it was just about being lied to. “James Charles had nine days after Coachella to talk to me… he could’ve come face to face… because he knew this would hurt me.” What had happened was that James had posted an Instagram ad for SugarBearHair, a brand of gummy vitamins that claim to be ‘revolutionary’ for hair growth. Listen: Mamamia’s daily news podcast The Quicky on the James Charles controversy. Post continues after audio. “I always like to tell people: pain is pain,” Tati said in her video, which is now approaching 50 million views. “Life will never stop being painful, no matter where you are in the world, no matter what your circumstances. “For me, I always like to say that just because the person next to you is in a full body cast, doesn’t mean your broken arm doesn’t hurt. Pain is pain.” And this particular ‘pain’, while it would have been “better handled privately” in Tati’s own words, was played out in front of millions. It started a conversation about entitlement, calling people out for their behaviour, and questioning who deserves a public platform. But let’s not pretend that this feud, between two millionaires who make their money from doing makeup on YouTube, has anything to do with morality.