James Charles Is Launching New Makeup Brand But People Are Unhappy He's Given A Second Chance After Grooming Accusations

In 2021, beauty influencer and YouTuber James Charles posted a photo shoot that depicted him as pregnant. He was kneeling down in front of a bed of flowers, completely naked, clutching his chest and a large, fake pregnant belly. "Surprise... 🤰🏻💕 new video out now," the caption read. The picture was heavily criticized for appropriating womanhood in an inappropriate way, but James never deleted the content or offered an apology.

But an even more serious controversy took place when he was caught sexting underage boys. James has a history of pursuing young men (even men who are heterosexual), and he finally had to issue a 14-minute apology video when it was revealed that he was inappropriately texting two underage boys. He claimed that he didn't know they were under the age of 18.

James Charles Announces He's Launching a New Makeup Brand

On Wednesday, James teased his new makeup brand on Instagram, sharing a clip of himself painting the face of a model. "PAINTED / SUMMER 2023 🎨🤍 4 years of hard work later… my own makeup brand is finally coming. I’m beyond excited to share these products with you, but for now, here’s a teaser of what’s to come… 🫶🏼" he wrote in the caption.

Although many of his fans are excited about the upcoming makeup brand, there are many people in the comment section wondering aloud why James is still being celebrated and propped up by the industry after the serious accusations of grooming. In February 2021, a 16-year-old boy alleged that James had been sending him sexually explicit photos on Snapchat and grooming him. That same month, three more boys came forward with similar accusations. One of them shared the sexually fueled conversation he had with James online. The following month, a 15-year-old boy accused James of sexting him as well.

There are many more controversies that James has been involved in, including some past comments that have been considered racist and insensitive. But it's the sexual grooming of minors that many people are particularly upset about. Many are asking in the comment section why James even has a platform anymore after he essentially admitted to sending minors sexually explicit material, even if he didn't know they were under the age of 18.

"Judging by the messages of support on his page, some of his friends and fans are excited about it. Comments on other pages are less enthusiastic. Thoughts, #Laundrites? Does he deserve another chance?" Instagram account @esteelaundry wrote in a recent post.

Many people commented and said it was unforgivable that James was given a second chance so quickly. "No. Grooming shouldn’t be ‘forgiven’ or forgotten’. Period," one user wrote.

"The only thing he deserves is jail," another person said.

"Those slides said it all. A white male gets unlimited chances and never acknowledges the privilege they have. As soon as you point that out they start talking about the 'woke' mob mentality (which none of them can clearly define). He should’ve been done years ago. He’s done some horrible things but people forget. If he were any other race, he’d be finished," one person commented.

Regardless of the backlash, James will likely launch his makeup brand smoothly without any hiccups, as he is supported by the beauty industry and has been protected by many brands that collaborate with him and are affiliated with him.