Updated: April 19th, 2022
Ethan Klein has apologised for the derogatory comments he made about the LGBTQ+ community on the H3 Podcast.
On his latest podcast episode, Ethan and producer Dan Swerdlove discussed rumours that beauty YouTuber James Charles got a second Brazilian Butt Lift surgery.
The rumours began circulating on TikTok in late March following a viral video by @tatemn. The speculation intensified this week when James posted a YouTube video during which he showed his Amazon homepage. Fans noticed adult diapers appeared in the creator’s “Buy Again” section on his Amazon account.
Adult diapers and sanitary pads can be used in the days following a BBL procedure to collect fluid from the surgical site.
On the H3 Podcast, Ethan made harmful remarks about James’ alleged need for adult diapers, weaponising his sexual orientation for laughs.
“Well, if he’s getting blasted in the ass hard enough, potentially, you may need to wear a diaper,” Ethan said. “Frequent anal sex can result in a blasted open asshole. Maybe he’s just got railed real hard the night before.”
Ethan and Dan went on to speculate if James is a “power bottom” in the bedroom— a term to describe a type of queer sex partner.
When confronted by a listener named Matt who called into the podcast to educate the team on why labeling someone as a top or a bottom is offensive— especially when they are not privy to that information about James— Ethan was dismissive and ignored the feedback.
“I think the problem is the term ‘power bottom’ is very funny to me,” Ethan said when Matt told him his remarks were offensive. “Sometimes, you know, these alpha men give power bottom vibes.”
Ethan then asked Matt if he considered himself a top or a bottom, to which Matt responded that it was none of Ethan’s business. Ethan pushed for an answer asking, “But you have a preference, one way or another? Can I guess? Can you tell me if it’s right if I guess right?”
After the call, the live stream comment section blew up calling Ethan’s comments homophobic, gross, and disappointing. “Apologies to whatever his name was,” Ethan said half-heartedly of Matt. “Apparently I was homophobic to him, but uh, what can you do.”
Dan went on to say he was “so fucking frustrated” with the audience for providing negative feedback, while Ethan said people are “way too fucking sensitive” for his show.
Hours after the show aired, Ethan took to Twitter to apologise for his behaviour.
“To my LGBTQ+ fans I am sorry for comments on todays show,” he wrote. “The sexualization of gay men & the grouping of tops & bottoms is a stereotype that I will be trying to unlearn. Apologies to the caller too who I shouldnt have pressed inappropriately. Hope you guys know I always mean well”.
Just last month, the former Frenemies co-host faced backlash from Black fans after criticising Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony and insinuating that the actor might be violent with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith at home.
Ethan treated Black callers similarly to how he treated Matt in this week’s episode, cutting them off and shutting down different opinions and perspectives on the issue.
One week later on the H3 Podcast, Ethan revealed that the April 18th show had no sponsors after angry fans allegedly called up the podcast’s sponsors to notify them of Ethan’s comments.
While there might be many reasons to criticise James Charles, Ethan’s comments about the influencer’s body, alleged plastic surgery, and sexuality were ignorant and wrong.