Influencer James Charles has issued an apology after facing intense backlash for a now-deleted video in which he mocked a laid-off Spirit Airlines worker who reached out to him for help. The 26-year-old beauty influencer sparked outrage after sharing an expletive-laden rant directed at a woman who sent him a GoFundMe link following the airline's sudden bankruptcy and shutdown, which left over 17,000 people without jobs.
The Viral Video
In the original clip, which was widely circulated before being removed, Charles read aloud a direct message he received from the woman. She wrote: "Good morning, James. I know you'll probably never see this, but if you could just take one minute to read it would really mean a lot to me. I'm really struggling right now because Spirit Airlines just filed for bankruptcy and I have lost my job. Here's a GoFundMe link. Any donations help."
Charles responded with laughter, saying: "I'm sure they do, sweetheart. I'm sure they do. You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Yeah, try that." He continued, escalating his tirade: "Because in the time that it took you to copy and paste the same f*** ass message to myself — who you don't follow, by the way — and probably a hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could've applied for a hundred other jobs. But you didn't, 'cause you're a lazy piece of s***, and you're entitled, and you think that influencers and celebrities should fund your life for you. Why would I ever help you?"
Public Backlash
The video quickly drew criticism online, with many social media users labeling Charles as "entitled" and "out of touch." One user on X wrote: "'Welcome to the real world' yet he doesn't even exist in that world as an influencer. He is so beyond out of touch and is acting like he understands the struggle."
Apology and Reflection
After deleting the video, Charles posted a shirtless apology on TikTok on Saturday, calling his original video "stupid" and "unnecessary." He said: "It was rude, it was obnoxious, it was privileged, and most importantly, it was completely f***ing unnecessary." He acknowledged that he could have simply ignored the message but instead chose to publicly shame the woman. "It was obnoxious, and I shamed her for asking for help in a situation where she was clearly struggling, and this could have been her absolute last resort," Charles added. "I feel awful because that wasn't my intention. And I really hurt a lot of people." He concluded: "I'm super sorry, especially to the woman from Spirit Airlines."
