Colleen Ballinger Is Running Out of Excuses

[@ashlyngarcia4194]

I've personally been a legal adult for three years and have yet to groom a minor, it's actually very easy to not groom minors, even on accident!

[@thecatwithamustache420]

Same! Be careful for those accidental ones though, i knew a legal adult who slipped once and accidentally groomed a minor mid fall

[@skylarkblue1]

I've been a legal adult for 4 years now, so easy to not groom anyone! I had like 4 people try and groom me while I was underage so I thought it was really easy to accidentally do it, but nope!

[@phluffydaemon]

I too have been a legal adult for three years and haven’t groomed anyone, not even by accident 🤭

[@neckbackcripplinganxietyattack]

@@thecatwithamustache420 HSGAHAH

[@bethany9844]

i look younger for being 19, so occasionally minor boys will try to get my # or snap. or even ones that randomly dm me. i ask for their age up front. they say they dont care regardless and still try to foster a "friendship" or more. i really try not to be creepy and i'm still honest about age and how wrong it is. they dont get it till they are blocked

[@emmamichelle_]

it really is getting more and more frustrating every time I hear about creators being exposed for creepy shit, like it's so easy to NOT groom and be weird with children

[@liaaa333]

Yes!

[@subashiniazhagappa183]

The fact that it’s so obvious that it’s fucked up and you shouldn’t do it, BUT THAT IT STILL HAPPENS, genuinely blows my mind.

[@dandelion_official4812]

But then how you gonna make money!? Kids working for free and buying tickets to your show sounds ideeeelll 🤢🤑

[@BsTheLadynred]

Yeah by their parents saying NO you're not going to be friends with an adult. Unfortunately grooming isn't illegal, so we need parents to step up and not allow access to their kids. The problem is parents get star struck also and allow their kids to become used.

[@dandelion_official4812]

@@BsTheLadynred if they even know...

[@jsanto210]

People need to understand that grooming doesnt always have a sexual compotent to it; its about fostering an inappropriate relatiobsip for the sake of getting something

[@phluffydaemon]

THIS

[@laurenp.4967]

this is exactly right

[@solala1312]

grooming can lead to exploitative relationships of all kind. some adults target minors when hiring new staff. labor protections for minors can be easily dodged for profit maximizing.

[@AquaticTiger217]

THIS^^^^^^this is exactly what I feel is going on in this situation

[@Shyknit]

The thing is this still has a sexual element, she asked them about their favorite sex position, sent lingerie after suggesting it to them, asked them if they were virgins, etc. Adam even pointed out there was a fan that was being sa'd by their uncle but because she made so many jokes about a creepy uncle SA'ing someone in her show they thought it wasn't so bad/unacceptable. As a woman if a guy did that I would think they're sexually grooming kids, I don't see it as different with a woman doing it

[@mollyharrison6860]

Not sure how many of Nick’s fans are minors, but an adult should NEVER ask you to keep anything “between you and me”. A teacher, a parent, a family friend or family member, etc. If anyone in your life is asking you to keep secrets, no matter how small or harmless they may seem, please tell a trusted adult. Edit: after reading a lot of the discussion in the replies below, I stand by what I said. Children and teens can be very easily manipulated, but obviously there are “secrets” that don’t involve in appropriate relations, especially between family members. My point is, if these “secrets” are not something you could tell a teacher or a friends’ parent without their concern for your well being, then they aren’t safe. You should always be able to tell at least one other adult in your life if they are appropriate. This kind of thing isn’t a joke, unfortunately.

[@imperfectly_megan]

You mean Trent. This is Nick's channel lol.

[@imperfectly_megan]

@@aasha8759oh. I have a newborn and apparently lack of sleep has affected my reading comprehension. Yes that is good advice.

[@jessicaahhhhh]

This. Also adults never need your help. They never need your advice. They never need to confide in you.

[@idonotresidehere.5709]

It really depends. Sometimes an adult (esp if they're a parent) might have good reason to want to keep smthn a secret. Idk but to me, saying that everything an adult tells a kid should be public knowledge, is kinda wild. Some adults and kids (again, esp if its a parent and child) have close relationships and thats fine so long as it stays age appropriate. My mom told me to keep things between us when I was a kid and she had good reason to, it was often personal stuff, plus, my dad was abusive so it makes sense she wouldnt want him to know certain things. I get how adults asking kids to keep things "between you and me" can be bc the adult is being predatory but thats not always the case, and it seems wild to me, to say that a minor can never keep an adult's secret or even just keep smthn private. edit: I feel like telling kids what isint age appropriate is better than telling them to never keep smthn private.

[@hello7032]

!!!!

[@GiveUsTodayOurDailyBread]

As a girl talking about period things like cramps and stuff isn’t really weird because it isn’t inherently sexual. Its quite the opposite, most tend to feel rather disgusting, But period talk is something you do in passing and move on. For example, I had a female teacher ask me what’s wrong because i looked uncomfortable and I told her it’s my period. She then said she understands, it can be hard etc. But that was it. End of discussion.The fact she struck a conversation about it and made a point to make it the subject of a discussion is weird especially because it can lead to other discussions that may be sexual.

[@musicalcacophony]

I would say that it's even healthy and comforting as a teen to have support from people you look up to/have power over you to have these kinds of convos "it's okay. It's normal, you're gonna get through this" but there is a obvious difference between that and creepy predator behavior

[@pinecone189]

Totally agree with both of you. Three adults that get periods in our house, we all suffer differently lol. And it helps to talk openly about it so we can pick up each others slack, especially my mom bc she's had five kids. I also have a little sister who will ask questions and we just answer in a way that doesn't scare her and just prepare her. However it's not a youtubers place to have a child group chat to talk about reproductive health and sexuality. It's mostly weird considering that it probably was part of her grooming bc I personally have no desire to casually talk to a bunch of kids about my period unless one needs help or asks me a question and it's important to answer. I'm probably over explaining but idk

[@shayiix]

this ^^

[@Nakia11798]

I have no similar experience to relate to. As a teen, I talked about them with my teen friends, as an adult, I talk about them with my adult coworkers. I never made periods taboo, so personally I don't get it being considered so by some. However, in this context, I do get that her issue was crossing boundaries.

[@Eja132]

@@Nakia11798I don’t like talking about them in general and as I got mine at 15 nearly 16 the anticipation everyone felt for them was over, don’t get me wrong I’m glad I got mine “late” but I only told certain friends about it and I view periods as a sure sign that I’ve kinda grown up which I don’t like so I don’t enjoy talking about them and never really felt comfortable talking about them. My little sister on the other hand who is also gonna get hers “late” at this point is very open talking about anything like shaving and periods, completely opposite to me. Anyway I have no idea where I was going with this but I’ll post it anyway

[@tomatosouq]

nothing more upsetting than hearing an adult justify their weird actions towards a minor by labeling it a "joke."

[@BigOwl51]

I don’t think she did anything wrong, and I’d love to see them get together

[@BigOwl51]

@Elizabeth Webb can I kiss you?

[@fromhell11112]

@@BigOwl51 your ragebait sucks

[@dystopiant7793]

@@BigOwl51hilarious and likely to start an argument! Wowowow!

[@coolguy36393]

@@BigOwl51 that take is as hot as where you’re going

[@BoveeTV]

This whole situation reminds me of the Shane Dawson cancellation. Being weirdly sexual around kids, racist/fat phobic comments, making apology videos that take years for people to realize were really bad videos.

[@pluto5577]

one of the first major youtubers like shane, too. i think a lot of people look at her with rose colored glasses because they grew up with her and miranda sings, same way people did with shane. it’s only just now people are realizing what she did was messed up.

[@melii1078]

Reminder and Colleen and Shane were good friends and would gossip together! And now she has a podcast with infamous trisha paytas. Birds of a feather..

[@be.A.b]

Big KZbinrs back then took advantage of being an “alternative” to standard media. Kids liked feeling like they were watching something a bit more “bad” then what mainstream media allowed. Some ytbers started taking it too far, because it gave them more views. Overtime these kids also became those ytbers main social sphere. For some, emotional immaturity, and a poor ability to recognize healthy boundaries contributed to the fallout. For others, the habitat fueled a pre-existing predatory disposition within them.

[@plantlifeforever6994]

I was going to say the same thing. She is so much like Shane, I honestly think (although it makes me sad to say it) she got away with it for longer because she's a woman.

[@whatdoyousuppose]

Shane and Colleen were friendly for a while, not sure if they still are. He’s actually on record saying he loves her because she is “the most hateful, shadiest bitch” always looking for someone to hate and every time they hang out she’d be like “what’s the tea? Who do we hate today?” 🫣

[@yrlowendtheory]

Adam deserved so much better. The fact that people blamed him, the child in the situation. Insane.

[@carnuatus]

Or accused him of clout chasing. 🥴

[@dandelion_official4812]

@@carnuatus oh that's still happening right now

[@nellyrose392]

@@carnuatus yup coming from the people still being groomed by her🤦🏾‍♀️ regardless of his intentions, the ADULT took advantage of the situation for YEARS robbing that boy of his childhood innocence. No excuse

[@mdg0307]

Yes! A lot of weird, grown people bullying a kid because they didn't like what they were hearing about someone they stan. And they still are defending her. Absolutely wild!

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

It's true of child abuse survivors everywhere: we're victim-blamed all the time. Or accused of attention-seeking/exaggerating.

[@TheBrokeCyberWanderer]

Adam came with receipts 3yrs ago. When he was 17yo. He was builled, called a liar and a clout chaser. When he was a child. And Colleen was 30 something. The way that kid was treated when he tried to make this known shows this isn't just a Colleen/Kodee thing but a lot of the internet as well. For attacking a child for saying the truth about a really inappropriate realtionship with a whole adult. I think Adam has been so strong dealing with this. It's impressive.

[@mmeggnn]

thats the derry in him. some the strongest people ive met grew up in that city. all the luck to him, what a horrible situation. i honestly hope legal action is taken, but am unsure how a case would work as its international. so sad

[@lumiere4460]

It's because nothing that Colleen did was illegal...it is just mundane stuff.

[@superswagmimi4237]

@@lumiere4460 literally what the fuck are you talking about

[@Angelface11]

He started younger then 15 with her actually

[@Angelface11]

​@@lumiere4460actually it is illegal to show p*** and other things to a minor and to sexualize a minor clearly you don't know what you're talking about

[@procastination_is_my_passi4182]

Her fan base is insanely loyal, I remember calling her out once she started becoming a mommy vlogger despite promising not to be and for specifically having sexual/odd titles when her son is on the thumbnail and her fans contacted my work, my parent's work, would make bot accounts and just tell me to kill myself lmaoo. Luckily though, none of their threats actually worked against my occupation or my parents, so I got off scott free but yeah ... insane behavior perpetuated by an insane middle aged woman

[@a1ntcry1noveru]

Jesus that’s insane

[@procastination_is_my_passi4182]

@@a1ntcry1noveru theyre kids and much like adam, were severely manipulated by this woman. They would do this to “honor” her and when they report back to her, she would dangle a prize in front of them to keep these actions going. The prize would be a ticket to her show or her meet and greet etc… i watched adam’s videos about this since he used to be one of these colleen fans and its very eye opening and extremely frustrating

[@rachel5399]

That's so crazy. Social media platforms like YT and TikTok are so scary because people can amass a huge following like celebrities do, creating so many parasocial relationships. It's more intimate though, because of the vlogs and "day in my life," like trends that they post because unlike celebrities, they need to be MORE likable and relatable because they don't have the "fame," that a regular old celebrity does, and the connections they have to make bad publicity go away. TikTok and YT followings will literally, like you said and experienced, have literal 13 year olds bullying and doxing people for RIGHTFULLY calling out their fav's predatory and gross behavior.

[@lurategh]

Fully agree with what you're saying and can't believe that happened to you...but just as a respectful side note that doesn't have anything to do w/ Colleen herself but more so life, 30s is definitely not middle aged.

[@snake.puppet]

​@@lurategh she's going to be 37 this year. The average life expectancy is around mid 70. She's absolutely middle aged.

[@Westielover2012]

I do think it’s important to note Adam did not randomly come back and make more accusations. He did so in response to a creator admitting she received messages from Colleen asking her to bully Adam basically and she was coming out admitting she did bully him as did thousands of others.

[@celiathirimanna5118]

this !

[@DieFarbeLila88]

Ok… so now he is on war path to ruin all of these KZbinrs lives? Wow. Talk about dedication! Das anyone know why he was supposed to be bullied?

[@Westielover2012]

@@DieFarbeLila88 he was bullied for coming out against Colleen in the first place. He was called horrible names, lost all his friends, etc. because Colleen went into peoples group chats and dms asking them to publicly bash him (like the person admitted to doing in her video). His goal is not to ruin anyones life. In fact he has stated multiple times that all he wants is an apology. He is simply revealing truths and facts about her and the people whom she befriends. It’s important information to know. This isn’t drama, it’s serious accusations of wrongdoing with minors.

[@DieFarbeLila88]

@@Westielover2012 yeah…. I wanted to know why Colleen initially wanted other ppl to badtalk him. Like - what was her motivation. Didn‘t he work for her at the time? Sry, I‘m coming a bit from the outside here, I don‘t know what’s happening 😵‍💫

[@clayduffin6602]

@@DieFarbeLila88Adam originally came out about what Colleen was doing (grooming, gross relationships with minors, Colleen making them do work for her without paying them etc) and everything they had experienced when interacting with her. Obviously this painted Colleen in a very bad light so she sent people over to bully Adam so everything would be more suppressed and that they wouldn’t keep talking about what happened

[@AdamMcIntyre]

thank you so much for covering this nick!!! :)

[@DreamingInTechnicolor]

I don’t comment that much, just wanted to say from day 1 I NEVER doubted you. Proud of you for continuing to stand strong. Your voice is so much stronger than the harm she’s caused…That’s why she tried to put you on mute.

[@giulianaramirez4642]

glad u spoke out to bring this issue to light :)

[@Mamapeepeepoop]

We are with you, Adam💕

[@oscoafi]

I Found out about all of this from your video, thank you for speaking out about your experience and being brave enough to put that out there❤️ you have a whole army behind your back supporting you and everyone else who was effected.

[@greenisnotnick]

thank you adam😸😸😸

[@chloesyoutubechannel]

She needs to ACTUALLY be held accountable. Not just losing followers and fame. Thank you for talking about this Nick, this situation is sickening.

[@savstrange]

Good point, I wonder if there is any legal action that can be taken perhaps for child endangerment

[@zzehaloka3780]

I hope there is. Also here’s a random chance to own up to something. I’m 21 and about a year ago I had gross comments to a 16 year old. Also had sexually harassed like an ex and some people. I just today actually tried to report myself to police or off myself. because I never meant to cause this level of harm and didn’t see the issue until someone held the mirror and want to be held accountable.

[@zzehaloka3780]

I legit told the cops and they tried to say I did nothing wrong which is crazy. I keep wanting someone to hold me accountable.

[@zzehaloka3780]

I want to do whatever I have too to try and make this right. Which I know is not possible. I don’t want to save face because I don’t have some big thing to lose. I purposely avoid platforming myself. Also I try to just sprinkle any positivity I can and want to someday just work at a soup kitchen or a good will if I ever get to a place of recovery. I want to go to jail and then like live a small but meaningful life being good to people In some town.

[@caseymarie292]

@ ZZEHaloka I don’t know the details or the severity and don’t want to, but I can say that you wanting to go to jail is wanting an exterior punishment for something you simply have to accept you did. You tried to make things ‘right’ that way and it didn’t work. Make sure it doesn’t happen again and go forward- do what you can and understand the system is unfairly balanced, and that feeling you crave of being held accountable is already happening- in those you harmed. Move forward and do better.

[@montanariley2550]

wether ill intentioned or not, the lack of boundaries between her and her fans is astounding. it is ABSOLUTELY the job of the adult to filter what's appropriate and what's not to share. She needs to own the crossed boundaries with no excuses because SHE was the adult. period.

[@jazwhoaskedforthis]

Right! As I'm getting older when I volunteer or work around younger people or just spend time with friend's families, it feels natural to assume a more appropriate role and have certain things off limits. Customer service has me automatically shift into different versions of myself based on whoever I'm dealing with, so it's really not hard at all. When I'm around kids I want them to feel safe and accepted while giving them a good example. I am not them anymore, it isn't appropriate for me to dump my personal drama on them or get involved in their lives as a buddy. I feel like a lotof people guilty of this don't want to admit they're growing up and leaving that time in their life. That or they're predators.

[@mirabelarmstrong8518]

Justice for Adam🙌🏼 this young man was 17 when he first spoke out and was HOUNDED ON by fans and Colleen supporters. He recently spoke out with more details on the situation, saying “As a 17 year old I couldn’t defend myself, now as a 21 year old with a platform I’m defending my 17 year old self”… Adam, I wish you easy healing and good thoughts, you are SO strong!

[@ShadowMancer97]

The fact he has solid proof she okayed his tweet MULTIPLE TIMES and still blamed him is wild

[@peapod32]

and then went on to say that she didnt blame him even tho theres hella proof in groupchats😭😭😭😭

[@dliap98]

this is the part to me that really stands out. like what a horrible thing to do. and he literally had proof that she approved it so he could have just showed it? it's so messed up

[@samanthaM7119]

Nobody can tell me that she didn’t have ulterior motives when giving over her twitter info, she was waiting to backstab him.

[@Kishamashia]

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse! That Kory Desoto voice memo is TEXTBOOK grooming. These people are vile

[@skylahenry8552]

Fr, it's like they looked up "how to groom kids" and went for it step by step 😭

[@Kishamashia]

As a 25 year old women I want nothing to do with kids/teenagers so I cannot fathom why a 30+ year old would like it’s just so weird! What could she possibly have in common with them? Like the only explanation is she’s a predator and a narcissist! I can see no reason for her to be in group chats with kids otherwise. Also why is she sending lingerie to fans anyway?! EW

[@dsrtsnw]

narc definitely

[@ArturGlass.C]

Guarentee you she's a narcissist. I watched Jake Doolittle stream reacting to the entire message threads she sent. Multiple times I had to take a step back because she treated that kid like my narcissistic mother treated me. It really really feels like it. Obviously none of us will really know but it was like eerie. To the point I'll bring it up to my therapist lol.

[@dataexpunged93N15]

I just wanna point out that there are 100% ways to interact with minors and NOT be a weirdo, obviously- they're going to be on the internet no matter what, so you'll probably run into them at some point (unless you explicitly roam adult-only spaces,) but it's REALLY not that hard to keep your distance and treat them respectfully. If you're going to talk about adult topics, make it an adult server with ID verification. If there's going to be people under 18, keep it family friendly and don't DM them about personal topics, or at all, honestly. Like... It's just really not difficult to make a space welcoming for everyone, if that's the kind of audience you're going for.

[@Kishamashia]

@@dataexpunged93N15 I Agree, yes obviously you can interact with kids in a non weirdo way that’s basically a given. However I feel it’s more than okay to question the motives of adults like Colleen who want an audience of underage kids? And then on top of that interacts with them in the manner she does. I don’t think every space on the internet needs to be welcoming for everyone at all. Especially if that space has the potential for groomers to take advantage of the audience in it.

[@Sasha-up9er]

Same, as a 25 year old woman I can't imagine having any kind of relationship with a teenager other than like a mentor/mentee kind of thing

[@riserasdf]

Imagine seeing the person that groomed you play a ukulele in an apology video like nothing happened.

[@ScoobyDoozy]

This is textbook grooming. I have worked with vulnerable adolescents for a decade. Never once have I thought _Hey, it’d be really funny to ask them if they’re virgins, send them my panties because they asked, and meet up with them at a HOTEL, sans parents (and almost explicitly insisting it’s sans parents)_ She’s a disgrace. But can we please not label it as an inappropriate relationship? That insinuates it’s a two way street. He was a child. Inappropriate actions towards a minor fan is more fitting of her actions

[@Nakia11798]

Yikes. Sending the underwear THEN asking to meet up unsupervised? Very creepy.

[@aryanprivilege9651]

You can only talk about sex surgery sterilization not periods? Colleen that’s not very Jewish why she make them call her mommy. Miranda Chan? Lost interest , got AIDS from this! IM GROOMED now!

[@senpaisear-edge]

Nick if you have access to the subreddit, I BEG YOU, look up her childhood cancer fundraising scam. It’s insane and she needs to be held accountable for that as well

[@athenajaxon2397]

As if those kids aren't going through enough 😭

[@senpaisear-edge]

@@athenajaxon2397 colleen deems it necessary to exploit every child within her radar

[@victoryscreeech]

It's a scam??

[@DieFarbeLila88]

What did she do?🫣

[@Julie-ik9cr]

@@victoryscreeech Not necessarily. We can see that she DOES make donations each year via the list of donors for the charities she supports. It's just that the way she runs her fundraiser is sketchy in many ways. Just one example, she collects the donations via a site called Fundly which takes a percentage of each donation, as opposed to having her fans donate directly to the charities. Presumably, this is so she can put all of the money in her personal bank account first, donate it all in her name, and use it as a tax write-off. I wouldn't say it's fully a scam, as in she just collects the money and never donates it, but she's also never shown receipts to prove that she donates the full amount raised. There's a lot more to it, like not following rules regarding giving away prizes, but I'm not super familiar with all of that.

[@soph1377]

I remember watching Colleen and Miranda’s channels growing up. She normalized a lot of predatory shit for me. watching her and experiencing her grooming behavior on just a small scale had very much contributed to toxic relationships I was in at the time. The weird sexual shit she did normalized predatory behavior that I was experiencing from a coworker that I had at the time. Colleen is genuinely disgusting

[@thefreedompines]

wow im so sorry :(

[@taradaycatalortaraifyourno8482]

The video where she did 34+35 but to God was so weird. Then she said she called God her boyfriend and junk. I’m a Christian and no that’s not normal. It’s like she pushes sex on kids.

[@BsTheLadynred]

She used to insinuate her "Uncle" as Miranda was a child molester if I remember correctly.

[@savpumpkinheads]

i agree so hard, i had the ick for her channel as a kid but at first I loved herand even bought that weird book she came out with for miranda, but after awhile her jokes just got uncomfortable and weird. glad we can protect the next gen watching her by calling out her behavior.

[@megancurtis9502]

@@taradaycatalortaraifyourno8482 it’s making fun of Christian girls that say they’re “dating God right now” I don’t think that’s a sexual thing

[@sydney7701]

Yes Nick! Thanks for covering this, I genuinely have no idea why her "apology" was so well received a few years ago.

[@senpaisear-edge]

She blatantly lied in the video and adams receipts and videos have proof. She’s so manipulative

[@maddie3755]

I thought the same thing! Like, I was in the comments section of that video when it came out feeling crazy lmao

[@yxmeen3068]

​@Maddie me too 😭 I was a young teen and I still felt like it was weird, I stopped liking her after that. I'm glad I did.

[@fivemjs]

Gen Z. Y’all cray

[@susan4912]

I genuinely thought she went through like a shane Dawson esque cancelation, I had no clue people still liked her

[@cgygflkj]

Im surprised more people arent discussing how Colleen called Jojo Siwa her "best friend" when she was 15-17

[@sabine1285]

not only that but she literally was hanging out with shane dawson the other day the adults around jojo are highkey failing her

[@cs2712]

nah fr that always weirded me out like she’s in high school and you’re a grown woman who’s married with kids????

[@Rosaisabellas]

@@sabine1285t this point jojo is old enough to decide who she can hang around. it’s weird to me that she seems to purposely hang around problematic creators 🙃 (but i do agree that many adults have failed her)

[@cailynturner163]

not sure if this is actually true but Colleen and JoJo are related somewhere along the line so they just made videos since they both had a platform.

[@mariadonkova2759]

Nothing wrong with being friends

[@nothingisawesome]

i think she should just write a ukulele song to address all this

[@jennamichelle1090]

i think that would go down so well & definitely not have any negative repercussions

[@epicgirl65060]

Colleen is literally the female shane dawson.

[@luciferswaltz]

funny enough , she's actually good friends with him :( they're good-enough friends for him to know how apparently "shady and hatey" she is - his words , not mine (its in a podcast and everything !! you can look it up n shit)

[@hnktbt]

​@@luciferswaltz she was (is?) friends with james charles and had his support when her apology dropped too. speaks volumes 😅

[@new0news]

honestly it's not superrrr surprising that these OG youtubers are weird. I grew up in the time that the internet was new and young people with normal lives for the most part did not post themselves online in the way they do now. Online "social media" accounts were places to interact with friends and friends of friends. Social media wasn't monetized the way it is now so there weren't the same incentives for young people to post funny videos on youtube. Obviously I can't make a blanket statement for everyone but I can say the majority of people posting regular videos on youtube in the early days probably did not come from the most stable lives so it's not crazy that they ended up not growing up into trusted adults. :(

[@solala1312]

🤮🤮🤮

[@flowd7451]

The cat fucker 💀

[@egetty6852]

Nick is always introducing me to controversies I’ve never heard of 😂

[@certifiedgreg_rose]

Same

[@D3ed4everr]

Lmaooo fr tho 😭

[@UrFavEmoJew]

Literally

[@mayug.2732]

Saaaame. He's my source of obscure gossip and i love it

[@turtlelover8938]

Frrr😭😭

[@kait.5437]

It’s takes so much effort to do this much wrong. Like being in a group chat with your fans who are also minors is already 2 power dynamics at play, and then to totally disrespect them and disregard their safety by asking them personal, sexual questions is crazy. There’s so much wrong.

[@fromhell11112]

ikr completely blurring the lines of a healthy adult to child friendship, there definitely things you cant say, and even if they didn't pray on the kids they wont know when another adult is cos to them that's normal for an adult to do.

[@DieFarbeLila88]

Honestly, I Don`r mind the group chat. Maybe that was just her way for a tighter knitted community. But why where there minors in it? And would there be a way to keep minors out?

[@nellyrose392]

@@DieFarbeLila88 majority of her audience are minors and she knew this. She didn’t want the minors out because she knew she could easily manipulate them and be an all around creep.

[@DieFarbeLila88]

@@nellyrose392 ok. No one wants to be a creep for the sake of being a creep. Because then you would be crazy. It‘s more realistic that she did not get to the conclusion that this idea was problematic. Why make a group chat then if she knew most of them where minors.

[@uzumakisunshine1303]

@@DieFarbeLila88’m not going to lie, you’re kind of weird. I saw your comments in another thread on this video and it’s as if you didn’t watch this video before commenting. You’re asking a host of questions that were either answered in the video or are just common sense. It doesn’t matter that she didn’t do it to be predatory because she groomed children and traumatized adults that came to realize that what she did was wrong. It’s weird to be an adult and message minors. It’s weird to discuss sex and periods with minors you don’t know. Asking kids if they’re virgins is disgusting. Is it hard for you to understand that this is wrong?

[@baymaxD866]

Now that im over 20 working with teenage coworkers, I truly understand just HOW MUCH grooming is so intentional. U dont need to interact much with them to realize they’re just kids. Even if they show signs of maturity and can be fun to talk to during breaks, its just so obvious you cant talk to them the same way you would an adult or your college friends

[@itsalyssabtw]

as someone who was a big fan of dan and phil when i was in middle school, im so glad that they tried their best to have a healthy relationship with their fans. unlike other youtubers back then

[@Rosaisabellas]

fr i love how much they acknowledge that their viewers were (and are) actual children

[@angelcutine]

As a teenager on the internet, it's so easy to form parasocial relationships with "celebrities" and want to interact with them all the time. I completely agree that fans can get easily blindsided by the people they fangirl over and deny all of their negative actions... especially when you're a young person. It's just so interesting to me how common things like this happen

[@angelcutine]

Most people will try to frame the victim as the bad person because they "went along with it" or "never stopped them" but the victim usually doesn't realize that something is wrong until after said thing has happened. It's just how young and immature minds work.

[@Grexsome]

I think victim blaming is just taught in our society as the response when we like the accused because that’s just how people respond in those situations at lower level. Like the whole “my son didn’t start the fight, that other boy must’ve. My son knows better than to fight” just sets a base level for us, even if we only see it in TV, to go “this content creator I like wouldn’t do that, that big must be lying! Colleen had no reason to do that” etc, that paired with the fact that 12 years ago most of the people making content didn’t have the most stable lives as the people that did KZbin when the internet was new were largely regarded ad strange for it it wasn’t like social media now, and and now these people who may have learn but may have grown up into weirder adults with a lot of money have had followings of normally children for a decade of longer… it’s not that unexpected that it keeps happening, but it is something that we should each try to be aware of in our own reactions to things. It’s important to unlearn the behaviors that cause us distress

[@CountThotula]

As a former teen on the internet, I'm 22, and have been on here since 8, I'm so glad you have acknowledged this and are aware. Spreading this knowledge will help other teens and younger people on here. The internet is an absolute wasteland and parents often don't monitor their actions on the internet. Be safe and continue to be smart!

[@sydney7701]

I'm a subscriber of yours who is a news producer -- yes, covering people dying and all of that. Part of my job is watching and listening to raw footage of school shootings or police body cams and deciding what's okay to air. Watching your content and other people's content is like a breath of fresh air lol. It's the controversy without the anxiety -- though with Colleen it's a bit of anxiety because it shows how we really don't know how to handle influencer & fan relationships yet and there's no laws to protect people. But because I watch this stuff, it inspires me to create legitimate news stories about it that will hopefully bring it to lawmaker's attention.

[@imdaisybtw]

oh man :( sydney these are really mentally exhaustive tasks, it's part of the job but i can't imagine the toll it takes on you. hope you have a nice week and something super cool happens to you pretty soon

[@jazmineworthy2010]

Thank you for the GREAT job you do, you are very much appreciated 🌼

[@elissa8284]

not the drama king we deserved but the drama king we needed

[@liesibrandt3081]

As an adult who had a past of being groomed (I've been a legal adult for 6 months), its actually extremely easy to not groom a child/minor.

[@Nakia11798]

Pretty sure its not even possible to groom someone unintentionally.

[@SquirmieWormington]

I just turned 20 and I can’t stand the idea of being in a group with a bunch of young teens, nevermind talking about my deepest dirtiest secrets with them and having them being the only people I talk too wtf

[@amandapanda5087]

I'm 22 and I can't stand it either. Not only is it weird, it's concerning and depressing. A woman in her thirties should have social interaction with people *her own age.* Not teenagers who are barely more than children-- and still children themselves, really.

[@snekgewehr]

I’m almost 20 and yeah I wouldn’t talk to anyone under 18 about personal stuff… wtf?

[@fromloverboy]

As a 17 year old who has a genuine and wonderful friendship with someone in their 30s, we still only talk privately to organize the group that we run and she would never vent to me or ask me questions like that. Colleen by no means had any sort of normal relationship with those kids.

[@lorieann8669]

Sounds like a good mentor/college/coworker😊😊

[@EthanTrees]

honestly, healthy and open relationships with older people are one of the best ways to ensure abuse and grooming don't take place! the more healthy friendships you have, the easier it is to tell which ones are unhealthy. a healthy friendship between an adult and a younger person will be open, with no "secret clubs" or frequent requests to get away from others/into private messages or areas. most of the time (though not all!) healthy and safe adults will have no issues with keeping conversations in public areas or you bringing along another trusted adult/family member. i'm really glad you have a good friend, intergenerational friendships are some of the most valuable! absolutely cherish them, i'm really glad you have someone you can trust :]

[@wrightcember]

im 16 with a good relationship with someone in their 60’s! (shes a grandma now 🥰) ive known her for YEARS, we still only talk when its in person and only text if ifs necessary!

[@nataliegreen8835]

same, im 20 but met this guy when i was 16 through work, he’s NEVER even hinted at a question like that, i looked at him like a mentor and he looked at me like his child (he had kids around my age) i could never imagine him saying these things to me, colleen is weird asf

[@axuwu6939]

Same! When I was younger, like 15 or so (if I remember correctly), I ended up making friendships with two middle-ages men based on a niche form of artwork that we all did as a hobby. The only things we ever talked about was the artwork itself, with them teaching me and helping to improve. That’s it. It’s proof that adults are capable of having healthy, mentor-type relationships with kids, and proof that what Colleen was doing was absolutely not that. What she did wasn’t a “silly little mistake,” it was a disgustingly inappropriate thing to do with children.

[@ak_alisonswift]

The crazy thing about this is, SHS LITERALLY HAS KIDS! Her kids are gonna grow up and see all this “DrAmA” and her LITERALLY GROOMING CHILDREN. It’s honestly just, sad. I really wanna believe she’s a good person, BUT SHE LITERALLY SENT A KID UNDERWEAR 😭

[@rachel5399]

I cannot wait for the children of all of these youtuber and TikTok parents, who had their entire childhood posted online, all of the tantrums, embarrassing and teachable moments, and even all of the good and fun memories that they didnt even get to keep for themselves for they had to also share it with thousands and even millions of viewers, to write tell-all books, make their own content exposing their parents, etc.

[@ErikaCartet]

unrelated to this specific situation, colleen also went on a whole rant about the youtube policy of demonetizing videos with children in them (to discourage people exploiting their children for content) and she got SO angry because “now p€dos have easier access to content of children because they don’t have to sit through youtube ads”… like huh??? what she obviously wanted to say basically amounted to “p€dos are going to be watching content of children either way, so i may as well be able to profit off it” instead of realizing that the solution was NOT posting content of your young children online if you KNOW the audience out there that they’re being exposed to

[@designer-mama]

@@rachel5399 I think about this often. It's going to be bad for so many of them

[@sarah.1230]

I hadn’t heard about this before and I’m so disgusted. I was abused by someone who was a “good” mother, friend, wife, and overall person. it took so much longer to acknowledge because of the stereotype that women - and especially mothers - aren’t capable of abuse, especially sexual abuse. it’s more rare, but it should never be taken less seriously. I hope people continue to hold her accountable until she’s pushed off of the platform and her power is taken away, just like they have done with the countless men who have done similar things. I hope her victims get the healing and peace they deserve, and I hope her children are kept safe. thanks for covering this, Nick. I never would have known about it otherwise. stay safe out there, y’all💜

[@misteryA555]

My biggest abuser was also my mom and I am also constantly annoyed by how much abuse by women is downplayed. I hope Colleen's kids can somehow make it out of all this okay

[@xx-sof-xx]

As a 27 y/o, I have no need to receive validation from a literal child 💀

[@amandapanda5087]

I'm a 22 y/o and I agree that seeking out validation from minors is severely concerning. As you said, they're children. It's not hard to *not do.*

[@Nakia11798]

At 26, I don't seek validation from anyone but family, my partner, and close friends. I don't consider minors to be friends.

[@sadie1606]

Right? I'm like 'where is your owner, child?'

[@kuwumiefn6943]

this is normal dawg

[@mariadonkova2759]

Some kids are smarter than you

[@jordanr.2120]

11:55 Leave it to a Twitter commenter to think "periods should be destigmatized in general and should be explained to kids at an age-appropriate level" (which is true) translates to "it's perfectly fine for a 30 year old in an extreme position of power to ask literal children specific questions about what their periods are like." Like holy shit someone PLEASE introduce these people to the concept of nuance

[@starmanda88]

THANK YOU HOLY SHIT 🙏🙏🙏 that also goes for some of the terminally online people in this comment section

[@Albin9197]

Having been raised in a household/country (Philippines) where periods are openly discussed at a very young age and even discussed in elementary school (the female teachers showed us in an age appropriate way why periods happen and how to properly dispose of a pad), I was truly surprised that a lot of girls in North America just don't know and basically get scared to death from having their first period. Like ???

[@e11a222]

thank you so much for covering this. it’s disgusting and i can’t believe she still has a career. these groomers need to be deplatformed asap :(

[@zoebellezt]

Please keep talking about this. People are not hearing about this and she needs to be held accountable.

[@carnuatus]

MOST OF THIS IS OLD NEWS IDK HOW PEOPLE DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT.

[@zoebellezt]

@@carnuatus That's what I mean. This should have been over with years ago!

[@bobococo89]

I remember when this first came out and then she made an apology video and swept this under the rug. For one, even if she apologized it didn’t negate what was done. Secondly, Adam got horribly crucified from that! It’s sad how he was disregarded. I believed him because before that, I stopped following her and I stopped getting good vibes from her

[@JR-mb1hy]

I’ve been waiting for this!! I have been watching the Ballingers since about 2013, but as I got older, they no longer interested me. After hearing the allegations a few years ago, I was done and haven’t watched anything of the family sense. It’s a little sad, because they were a huge part of my childhood, but thinking back, they were terrible influences. Also she gives me Lea Michelle vibes??? Idk why

[@minakiel2930]

yeah! very Lea Michelle vibes

[@twiggledowntown3564]

They do look similar.

[@twiggledowntown3564]

Also they kinda sound alike.

[@yoitwasntme]

Same, I watched literally every single video on Colleen, Rachel, Chris, & Josh’s channel and would come home from school everyday excited to watch their content. Tbh Josh was my favorite and he still holds a special place in my heart. I still go back and watch his new videos every now and then. I was devastated when they got divorced. That was when I stopped watching them. They felt like family to me and I hadn’t known anyone who had gotten divorced before so it was too much for me at that age. I knew about the fatphobic jokes and the weirdly predatory nature of some of her content from when I would watch it but, I never heard about her apology video. I have gotten the absolute weirdest vibes off of her ever since her and Josh split. Honestly, seeing all of this is makes sense to me because I have been so weirded out by her for years. Then hearing about Christopher 😣 I loved his channel and his relationship with his wife & kids. Why? Just why. It’s so easy to not groom children. She used to work at Disneyland too. Yikes.

[@shrkattck88]

Can we not group pedophilia, sex, and periods together? Periods are not remotely sexual. And honestly, I think it's good to normalize what it's like for those that have them. The rest is creepy af, but like sorry periods make you uncomfy? For girls its scary af when you first get one. and while I don't like 99% of what she said, it is crazy shocking and cab make you think you're dying without the right info.

[@shrkattck88]

specifically 11:45---not tactful, but NOT sexual. please don't lump this in with this video.

[@Awsome101Girl]

Yeah if only he wasn’t a completely morally bankrupt unreliable source for ANYTHING.

[@keelinmacken9552]

I definitely agree it should be destigmatized for sure but I don’t think a 30+ year old should be having direct discussions with her young fans. Giving general advice about it is fine but asking those personal direct questions is where it’s kinda overstepping the line

[@SeymourDisapproves]

Using your platform to talk about and educate people on periods is one thing. Putting a random kid/young teenager on the spot by demanding they discuss *their own* period with you is significantly more invasive and inappropriate. This isn't about Colleen making Nick "uncomfy," it's about documenting Colleen's chronic refusal to create any fucking boundaries between herself and her young fans.

[@Nakia11798]

Agreed! Periods aren't sexual. It should be more acceptable to talk about periods, in any way for adults, and in an educational way for minors. If I'd been talked to about periods, not just vaguely taught that they exist in school, I would've known what was happening when I got mine and not thought I'd pooped in my pants 😂

[@gothghost7491]

At my job I work with some minors, and even though I think they are cool people I would never hang out or interact with them outside of work. Aside from being innappropriate, as an adult I have nothing in common with a high schooler. Its super weird that she had any group chat with just minor fans, and its definitely not normal to seek out comfort from young people who can't possibly understand the nuances of marital troubles lmao

[@Vincisomething]

Seriously. At one of my former jobs, one of my coworkers asked if we could hang out. She was cool, but I was in my late 20s and she was 17, so I had to let her down gently and I was clear about it being about the age and how I was uncomfortable hanging out with minors. If we were around the same age, I would've because she was nice. If she asked when she was 18, that would've been acceptable.

[@nicholewarren4229]

I really appreciate the way you explain your sort of journalistic ethics, and the way you orient the audience about potentially stressful/triggering content!

[@HolyChesusCrust]

Finally, a KZbinr on the side of Adam after so many years! Everyone ripped on him when he came forward about it and I am so glad everything is slowly coming out again to bring him Justice!

[@KnosumNoe]

Fr

[@frickfrog6546]

I was so shocked all the things from 3 ish years ago just got swept under the rug. I remember the Adam stuff being everywhere for a few days and then never again

[@Yeoubi_on_Mars]

The fact that this woman is a mother to three children now is so concerning

[@shroudofclouds]

​@Daria Haynie yup, twins

[@sophie-b]

thank you nick for covering this, i hope the victims in this situation get justice.. my heart breaks for those that have been hurt by colleen and her crew, makes me sick that she's gotten away with this for so long!!

[@llarse1606]

I remember being a child and falling under the influence of creepy adults who are okay validating themselves using and abusing children. Just because it's over the internet doesnt justify anything. I feel so sorry for these kids and I hope Colleen is deplatformed fully because she does not deserve all this fame and being around a young audience if shes willing to do this to minors...absolutely disgusting and creepy as hell thinking of her performing with kids.

[@cyanidesmile7263]

She needs to be in prison, not just deplatformed

[@Z3NIN]

it's honestly saddening how such a large creator on the platform has been doing terrible things and is getting away with it

[@sircalvin]

its not sad she got exposed. its upsetting what she did to others, but her getting exposed isnt sad at all

[@Elle...]

It’s far sadder that it has been suppressed by her and her audience for years since the allegations first arose. She didn’t deserve the platform she had and especially not the one she kept after the truth came out the first time.

[@solala1312]

it's sad she got away with exploiting and oversexualizing her underage fans.

[@Z3NIN]

@@sircalvin let me rephrase mb; i meant that its saddening to see such a large creator on the platform to get away with this

[@ebbydeeby7568]

I'm super glad to hear that you're having fun with these videos, your mental health is super important

[@jessie_carl]

She just posted an "apology" video. She does not apologize. And she sings...the whole time.

[@red.gem_]

i genuinely think it's incredible what you're doing recently, as someone very involved in internet culture and yet simultaneously never knows when something like this has happened, it's so enjoyable to be able to come here and watch someone i already know and admire unpack/debrief it

[@taylorshutup]

i remember seeing her in concert as a kid maybe 5th grade (dont ask why i was just a big fan along w my bsf 😭) but my older brother took us and got weirded out bc she had a big projection on the board that read “p°rn” and she called up kids from the audience and one was dressed as her miranda persona who she praised and was like “this is how u should dress” and the other one was wearing i wanna say a t shirt and shorts and they were both clearly minors, she kept calling the kid with the t shirt a p°rnstar and stuff and i never saw a problem as a kid but now when i think abt it it never really hit me how weird that was…. she knew her fanbase was majority children. i wonder how that girl felt :/

[@ima.m.1658]

God it just keeps getting worse. She's most def a narcissist

[@lilydapug5399]

Oh yeah now that you mention it she did have a whole thing with Miranda and other people dressing like p*rnstars. It kinda rubbed me the wrong way as a kid but I brushed it off as a a joke, obviously there was something seriously quite wrong 🫤

[@threeidiotproductions]

it's truly so upsetting to see this. i have been a huge fan of colleen for around 10 years until this past week. before this past week i didnt even know about any of this or that she was previously called out for any of this. its awful to see a creator who made such uplifting content for me for so long be such a terrible person on the inside. im so glad you touched on this and i hope she adresses it as well.

[@aliciaguzmann]

me too it makes me so sad I watched her for so long and didn’t ever think things like this would happen ☹️☹️

[@YouTubeSupportSucks]

Genuine question: if you've been a fan for that long, how did you not see any of the bigoted content in her videos, or even just her "apology" video?

[@kaijuhunting]

how was her annoying content ever uplifting for you...

[@threeidiotproductions]

@@kaijuhunting not miranda, i watched her vlogs mostly

[@threeidiotproductions]

​@@KZbinSupportSucks when this was first brought up i was in middle school and didnt really watch her. when i was young i watched miranda and the past 2 years or so ive been watching her vlogs. the only era that i fell out of her content was when this all happened in the first place coincidentally

[@JupiHornet1]

Didn't really grow up watching Colleen but I remember when she did a video reacting to the Kids React to Miranda Sings video back when The Fine Bros were in their prime. When one of the kids came up she said something like "oh he's cute, he could be my next bae". Even 14 year old me thought that was weird. And that was 8 years ago

[@SableRain]

What's so shocking to me about her is that she's a mom! How can she be okay with being so creepy with kids? Makes me worry for her own kids. 😢

[@Nakia11798]

She probably separates her kids from others.

[@themaddiecommittee]

i was a teenager fan of colleen’s. at the time, someone much older than me befriended me and it was an unhealthy relationship. ironically, she was a fan of colleen’s and defended the behavior i found questionable. this whole resurgence of criticism towards colleen is so surreal.

[@blushslice]

I always made excuses for adults talking privately to minors they don’t personally know as a kid, but as a 30yr old I can barely talk to a 24yr old

[@j-bq5nc]

i was like 12 and had 40+ year old “friends” online. i’m 20 now and can’t imagine dming with a 12 year old. i just don’t understand this.

[@imperfectly_megan]

I am 29 now and I went to a popular bar before covid (so when I was about 26) that was high security so they took a digital picture of your licence to prove your age. Anyway I remember looking at a large crowd of primarily 18 year olds (18 is the drinking age in Alberta, Canada) and thinking they look like literal children. I could not believe they were at least 18. (I was there with my friends to play arcade games and drink.) I couldn't imagine having any kind of interaction with them and they were all technically adults. Also my parents are exactly 20 years apart from each other. My mom was 20 when she had me and my dad was 40. They were together for at least a year before that. So yeah that wasn't a healthy age gap and they are divorced now so it didn't work out. My mom definitely relied on my dad for guidance and stuff so the relationship wasn't on such an equal footing as they claimed.

[@gagegunner_]

I’m 30 and one of my employees who reports directly to me is 18 and I feel like I’m being problematic just texting her regarding work stuff

[@Crabby-Abby]

I FEEL this. I was in a deeply inappropriate online relationship at 18 with a much, much older person, and at the time I made so many excuses for it. But now as a 28 year old, I can't FATHOM ever talking to an 18 year old romantically. All this to say, it wasn't our fault. The adults in these situations had a responsibility to stop what was happening and didn't, and it wasn't our fault for "going along with it."

[@monochromicornthetuna4256]

As a 22 year old, I can barely talk to 18 year olds💀

[@nikitashutup-]

you didn't mention that at the time, 3 years ago, Colleen got James Charles to defend her and throw 17yo Adam under the bus. of course James Charles thinks its the teen's fault that Colleen talks to kids.

[@sonie4208]

I don’t see how everyone straight up bullied Adam for posting the videos in 2020. It was so apparent that he had been groomed and used even without him acknowledging it back then. I want to know how other grown ass adults, IN THEIR 30s, couldn’t catch the drift of what actually happened or called him a liar. Like the kid was 12 talking one on one with a 30 year old. That’s weird as hell. I really hope Adam gets his justice in all of this.

[@Nakia11798]

I didn't even hear about this until now. Glad I didn't bully anyone.

[@bunnyirl]

i wanted to bring up a story that i saw the other day. there’s a video surfacing on tik too of a girl on stage with colleen as miranda and the girl is saying down having her legs spread apart bye colleen. the girl from the video actually came out and talked about how utterly violated and scared she felt as a teenager with her legs being spread by an adult on stage while being laughed at by a full crowd of people, while praying that her romper was enough to cover herself.

[@cha0ticneutralbigs]

I also want to point out her Miranda sings character is inherently a mockery of neurodivergent and doable people and includes playing “dumb” and using a speech impediment as the buttons of the joke

[@kolibri7712]

i think one of the biggest reasons the apology was so well received the first time is because she showed the livestream clip of them giving away the lingerie and it provided important context. tbh that really devalued the other things adam was saying and it’s a shame because they had very valid issues to bring up.

[@kay.smi2424]

The shadiest part about that is she conveniently edited out the beginning that made it clear that she prompted him with the idea “should we give the x to Adam?” and only left the part where he said he wanted it (after she prompted). Adam made a video comparing the clips recently. If she would’ve included the entire context in her apology I think things would’ve gone differently.

[@ErikaCartet]

yeah… but i still don’t really understand how she could say “but the minor ASKED me for the lingerie” and that somehow got her off the hook. same with all the “adam was the one to approach me with ideas” framing. i think it should also be noted that she was the one who first suggested they send him the lingerie/asked if he wanted it, and he said “yeah i want it, send me that.” either way, as the adult, she should be the one setting boundaries with children, not crossing that boundary of what’s appropriate because the child “asked for it.” so it was wasn’t really that important of context? because ultimately it was irrelevant to the question of “was this appropriate or not?” idk, it’s just so crazy to think she was able to spin that in a way for people to be like, oh ok, that context makes it okay… but yeah i could see it being enough for people who were already inclined to be on her side. honestly it was probably the smear campaign she was orchestrating behind the scenes that truly did adam in at the time,sadly

[@kay.smi2424]

@@ErikaCartet For me, realizing that she took the time to edit the clip in that way shows she intended to manipulate her entire fan base. Like not only is the thing you did horrific, but then you intentionally doctor footage to keep your underage naive fans on your side? She’s too well seasoned at this. She’s an expert at lying and manipulating and has been for a long time. I’m not surprised that there are ppl still defending her, they’ve been subjected to these kinds of tactics for who knows how long. It’s sick.

[@clarestired]

it’s concerning to me that she can say these things about young children then go out and have her own. has she ever thought that way about her own children ? its scary n gross

[@peapod32]

if u watch adams video, he explains that he sent a message along the linesvof “imagine this happened to ur child” and she replied with “DONT BRING MY CHILD INTO THIS” like girl…… adam had a point

[@clarestired]

@@peapod32 “dont bring my child into this” like she didnt bring him, a literal child at the time, into this

[@peapod32]

@@clarestired seriously shes wild

[@metalhead4Christ]

Why are so many creators pedos? It's truly remarkable and disgusting.

[@chloedotweir]

It's because professions in the public eye (acting, preaching, politics, social media) attract people who want to be seen as powerful and impressive. The ultimate power is manipulating someone, or holding control over them. It's easier to do this to a child, or other vulnerable person. That's not to say every actor, director, pastor, senator, or KZbin star is manipulative. There's just a higher percentage.

[@Nakia11798]

Power.

[@Findoeslife1]

I’m 14 rn and I’ve been a fan of Colleen and her work since I was a little kid, but hearing and seeing all this makes me so upset and uncomfortable. Im supposed to go to one of her shows later this summer (I’ve been to two of her shows, one being only a few months back) and now im stressed bc I don’t wanna go and I’ll have to explain all this to my parents and stuff. It’s not that hard to not be a weirdo, this makes me so sad.

[@Vincisomething]

It'd probably be better to get a refund (if you can) and go to a place you'll actually be able to enjoy without the over-looming feeling of being in the same room as a groomer. You don't have to explain the full story, just that people found out that she's a creep and a groomer. I'm sure if your parents are normal people, they'll understand you not wanting to support a groomer. Imagine if it was Onision, Shane Dawson, or even EDP.

[@ErikaCartet]

if you don’t want to explain the more icky stuff to them, you could always just limit what you tell them to it coming out that she was using child fans for free labor and you not wanting to support her after that. hopefully they’d at least understand that much and be glad that you’re able to recognize that it’s not appropriate behavior. i’m sorry that this has all come out and know it must be super upsetting, but i hope you can also be glad that you’re able to set the attachment you’ve had as a fan of hers aside and understand that this is wrong, because that can be a huge hurdle for some fans.

[@mmeggnn]

if you have a good relationship with either or both of your parents, dont afraid to be honest with them. you being unaware likely means you were not caught up to speed on her actions, and didn’t realize the situation. but sometimes having that conversation and taking the weight off yourself, and having a healthy relationship moment with an adult who im sure will want to express their thoughts and advisories for you in the future would be really beneficial if that is feasible for you. even a trusted teacher or someone at school, because they might have their own kids or friends with kids who watch or go to a show. not at all trying to pressure you to make a decision, but let you know there is nothing embarrassing about this and affects a lot more of your peers than youd think, and hell our parents were fanatics back in the day too and understand! hope you find content creators with better boundaries with their fans to look up to, and if you need any suggestions on what to look out for, these youtube comments on the video are useful. feeling overwhelmed and in a way, torn apart when a creator breaks the trust you put in them is normal, as we all want to see the best in people. you will be okay, and find joy in new and better things from this experience. :) o7

[@mmeggnn]

and most importantly, get ur money back!! hahah. best of luck

[@Findoeslife1]

@@mmeggnn I did talk to my parents and we’ve actually been talking about it the past few days but thanks for the advice!! I also did get my money back so that’s good 😊

[@myrtolefk]

i'm a teacher (and actually younger than colleen) so i work with kids every day and it's SO WEIRD to think that there's actual adults talking to kids ONLINE as if they're friends?? like why would you even do that?? it makes me so scared and sad that kids do end up in these situations unaware of how weird it is when it's happening

[@auds1644]

nick pls keep making videos like this i’d much rather hear u explain this bs than scroll endlessly through twitter trying to find an unbiased answer 😭

[@potatoesdeterre]

My sister used to always watch her on the family tv when she had that Netflix show. I always felt like my parents would get us in trouble because of the things she said which weren’t very appropriate for our age at the time.

[@justaturky2890]

haters back off was funny but it did have some weird moments

[@ptvluvr888]

i was not expecting the word “dookie” to come out of this man’s mouth 😭

[@hobisdimples94]

"Dookie everywhere" had me rolling 😂

[@puppies3742]

Did anyone see that Colleen's dad had a (now deleted) playlist on youtube called "want" filled with inflation kink content 💀

[@KeeHart]

There is something wrong in the heads of that whole family, personally I blame religious trauma for a lot of it, they are all messed up

[@izzyfloro7941]

nick these videos are gas bro!! the way you cover stories is both interesting and entertaining, glad ur enjoying it too man.

[@jessicaanne2942]

The subreddit is going to blowup over the fact that you’re covering this damn

[@willmax95]

Just finished watching, great job on this coverage, Nick. I’ve been hesitant to watch other creators videos on this situation because I get lost in little pockets of drama sometimes rather than getting the full understanding, and I knew I’d fully get it if I watched your video and I did, so thank you. Happy to see you enjoying yourself & I love that you are editing again. Keep up the hard work buddy

[@nyankonii]

i never heard abt the controversy from a few years until now bc i don't keep up w colleen at all. im surprised her apology was received so well back then and she was able to sweep it under the rug. it goes to show that she successfully manipulated her young, impressionable audience

[@sydneynicole4468]

loving the news style videos, I’m barely on social media so I love hearing about these wild things specifically filtered through you. there’s also something so comforting about the style of these videos, I feel like I can sit down and watch them literally anywhere and they’re always so entertaining. I used to find myself checking to see if your main channel had uploaded any new videos, but I find myself constantly checking with this one now. It’s nice to see you creating content that you enjoy, Nick!

[@Wraiven22]

Judging by how badly Colleen was freaking out about the relatively harmless Meghan Trainor tweet I would kill to be a fly on the wall seeing what’s going on in her house now lol

[@alirobinson1325]

the voice memo from kody was giving "i'm weird... i'm a weirdo... i don't fit in, and i don't wanna fit in"

[@CassandraHoggins]

I’ll be 29 next month and the older I get the less and less I understand why on earth adults want or feel comfortable talking to children this way. It genuinely is baffling to me when they act “shocked” that people are upset.

[@Westielover2012]

Also whatever statement Colleen eventually makes is in no way sincere as she’s currently selling cancelled merch at her tour.

[@Lucas-fl6py]

loved the commentary on parasocial relationships, this is the most nuance ive heard from anyone about them. you never really know the person on your screen even if they are "themselves" in their content

[@Lucas-fl6py]

i think the fact that she had the Miranda character who was over the top awful made her personal channel feel even more intimate because it was like a "yeah I'm not performing right now I'm just talking to you guys as friends" kind of vibe

[@cleon-a4931]

To all young people. never let anyone gaslight you into doing what you shouldn't or don't want to do. This is disgusting!!

[@atlasfolds]

It's really easy not to groom a minor, like SUPER easy to not. idk what these celebrities/influencers are talking about

[@Jabadamazo]

It's a subreddit... COLLEEN her out? Ok, I'll go stand in traffic now.

[@willow4407]

You’re basically my main source of news Mate, thank you 😂

[@YuriPlisetskyKinnie]

It’s kind of terrifying how many KZbinrs I watched when I was younger I grew up to realize were actually super problematic

[@mallarielove]

the fact that i’m 18 and i still feel like a child. and the child she sexually harassed and groomed was 17. she was OVER TWICE HIS AGE and she.. did that. and he was harassed. disgusting.

[@gooodmorning4526]

He was actually 13 when it began and 17 when he first spoke out about it.

[@gooodmorning4526]

@arianna1906 exactly. They can't even drink yet in America so clearly suddenly being 18 doesn't make you a fully developed adult

[@snekgewehr]

@@gooodmorning4526I’m almost 20 and still feel like a “child” somewhat. I haven’t done anything adult, when do i feel adult?

[@gooodmorning4526]

@@snekgewehr depends why you don't feel like an "adult." Is it work? Studying? Living at home? Honestly dw about "feeling" like an adult if it's those things. Your brain does stop fully developing around 25 tho if that helps?

[@fishmagee5135]

Nick I'm so glad you're enjoying making this content, we definitely enjoy it!

[@bbutler8977]

Enjoy? Not sure if that's the right word for my feelings. I'm just glad he is at least filming at 5AM when the emotional pain is so overwhelming. He is grieving for the lost part of his adolescence and sharing the hurt at now feeling re-victimized.

[@testmeat]

@@bbutler8977 Jesse what the fuck are you talking about

[@PenTheUltim8]

sorry babe not tonight. a youtuber dropped a video essay about something ive never heard of.

[@hobisdimples94]

Legit.

[@lilyaileen]

i have a pretty close relationship with a previous teacher of mine which i guess is the closest i can imagine to this awful kind of relationship but the difference is that she's essentially an aunt to me and is also a family friend. i feel like teens can have relationships with adults as long as proper bounderies are in place and this situation so 100000% removes those bounderies. what colleen does is so gross and weird, especially when it's all online. i don't understand how people manage to do so many bad things

[@notyourboi4076]

havent been on the channel in a bit, just wanted to say that you do look more energized with the switch in content, and im really happy you've found something you enjoy/are interested in producing, it shows! Good vid

[@leebobeebo]

this is the first time a youtuber i actually watched was outed for something this heinous, and i hate to think back about how young i was when i was watching colleen's videos. i am so glad that people are taking the victims seriously this time, and may their lives only get easier from now on

[@mynamesnotham4444]

thanks for talking about this nick it definitely deserves more attention

[@julialena3150]

That voice memo is so creepy and disturbing. As an adult I can see how its screaming groomer but I could see how this would have worked on me as a kid and made me feel special and like others just 'dont get it'.

[@bigshark9567]

Nick, I think u found ur new niche. Full steam ahead. Love these “journalist” (it’s super informal obviously just don’t really know how else to describe it) videos about tiktok stories, I’ve been an on and off watcher of you for a while but I’d be happy to stick around for this type of content.

[@ciciamanda.]

its been really fun seeing you enjoy youtube again, and i'm loving these videos

[@leviholt4557]

Nothing beats the feeling of everyone finally hating a creator who youve always disliked. I couldnt stand her brand of comedy back then and my friends kept waving me off about her