Colleen Ballinger has addressed the manipulation and grooming allegations against her by former fans.
In a new YouTube video posted on her vlog channel to 3.38 million subscribers, Colleen strummed a ukulele and sang her “apology” for the entire 10 minutes— making a mockery of the situation while she avoided taking accountability for the inappropriate relationships she fostered with fans over the years.
Colleen starts by singing a song, ‘Toxic Gossip Train,’ where she calls the allegations “misinformation.”
Following the song— which she brings back throughout the video between points that she addresses— Colleen says she only wants to speak (sing, rather) about facts in this video. She starts by admitting to being in group chats with her fans and that it was “weird.”
“Many years ago, I used to message my fans. Not in a creepy way like a lot of you are trying to suggest. It was more a loser kind of way, but I was just trying to be besties with every body,” she says. “In the beginning of my career, I didn’t really understand that maybe there should be some boundaries there. There were times in the DMS when I would overshare details of my life, which is really weird of me.”
She insists she hasn’t done that for years because she took accountability and changed her behaviour.
Colleen breaks into ‘Toxic Gossip Train’ again, calling the allegations “hateful accusations.”
She continues, singing that her accusers don’t actually want accountability, but rather they want “to ruin the life of the person you despise while you dramatise your lies and monetise their demise.”
Colleen goes on to mock how she assumes people will receive her video.
“I know you wanted me to say that 100% in the wrong. Well, I’m sorry, I’m not going to take that route— of admitting to lies and rumours that you made up for clout,” she sings.
The creator then covers her internet character, Miranda Sings. Colleen has been accused of acting inappropriately toward fans at Miranda Sings live shows while in character.
“She’s PG-13. It says that on my website and it’s always been that way,” she says. “I didn’t realise it was my responsibility to decide what was appropriate for every kid to see.”
“Have I made some jokes in poor taste? Yes. Have I made lots of dumb mistakes? Yes. Am I sad that [there are] fans that feel betrayed? Yes. Was it my intention to manipulate? No,” she sings. “It doesn’t really matter what my intention was, because it seems as though everyone’s already decided on that.”
Colleen addresses the grooming and predator accusations head-on. These accusations caught fire after Twitter user @noitsbecks opened up about how Colleen put her in a sexually explicit position as a teenager as part of a “fart joke” at a Miranda Sings performance.
“The only thing that I’ve ever groomed is my two Persian cats. I’m not a groomer. Just a loser who didn’t understand that I shouldn’t respond to fans and I’m not a predator even though a lot of you think so. Because five years ago I made a fart joke,” she sings.
Colleen finishes by singing a song about making mistakes and how those mistakes don’t make people horrible humans.
The response to Colleen’s video has been overwhelmingly negative, with fans and accusers alike saying that the creator is making a mockery of a very serious situation and lacks accountability.
Joshua Evans, Colleen’s ex-husband, also shared his thoughts on the “apology” via Twitter— echoing the negative sentiment held by most viewers. Over the past few weeks, Joshua has been one of the few people associated with Colleen and the Ballinger Family to address the mounting allegations, apologising for promoting an “abusive fan/creator dynamic.”
He directs his tweets about Colleen’s newest video to “anyone [who is] feeling hurt & gaslit right now,” assuring them that their “trauma should be taken seriously,” repeating that “the proof [to support their claims] is there.”
He empathises with many viewers, saying “[Colleen’s] behavior was my reality anytime I spoke up & disagreed with her actions & rhetoric during 2009-2016.” With this, Joshua emphasises that he is only using his platform to “validate those that are hurting, nothing more. I have no need to make any money off of this.”
Colleen did not address the allegations leveled against her brother, Trent Ballinger, in her response video.
For more on the accusations against Colleen Ballinger and her history of scandal, listen to Centennial World‘s internet culture podcast, infinite scroll.