What’s up y’all, it’s Emile Ennis Jr. with Clevver News, and James Charles threw
some major shade at Alicia Keys and other celebs, but then backtracked and apologized.
Let’s break it down.
Now more than ever, the beauty industry is booming with influencers and celebrities attaching
their names to a brand, or creating their very own beauty lines.
As of late, Addison Rae dropped her own makeup brand, Selena Gomez announced that Rare Beauty
would be launching in stores, and more.
Then Thursday, Allure magazine announced that Alicia Keys would be teaming up with e.l.f.
cosmetics for a new skincare line.
At this point, how do we even choose which brand to buy?!
So many options.
Not to mention, celebrities like Lady Gaga, Kylie Jenner, Rihanna, Millie Bobby Brown,
Kim Kardashian, Kesha, and Victoria Beckham, are just a few of many celebrities who have
dabbled in the beauty industry.
That’s when OG beauty YouTubers James Charles and Manny MUA entered the chat and aired out
their issues with celebrities profiting off of the beauty industry.
Manny took to Twitter yesterday in a now-deleted tweet that read, “Does anyone else get slightly
irritated when celebs come out with entire makeup lines?
Especially when those celebs don’t even wear makeup…
I’m like girl.”
Manny then followed up his statement with a fan who suggested that Kylie Jenner trying
to outdo celebs like Rihanna, writing back to the fan QUOTE, “See with Rihanna and
Kylie, I get it tho…
They’re glam girls!
They wear makeup, they’re known for their makeup so I can see that… but some other
people, I’m like HUH?!?”
James then appeared to share the same sentiment, as his tweet that followed read, “I’m
sick of people who have no business coming out with makeup brands coming out with makeup
brands.”
Some were quick to assume that James was subtweeting some of his good friends and fellow TikTokers
Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae, but he was quick to clarify that in a follow-up tweet
he rewrote, saying, “People who do not wear makeup should not be coming out with makeup
brands but that’s just my opinion.
Reworded the original tweet because people assumed I was shading my own friends or people
I love which is not the case lol.”
It didn’t take long for fans to connect the dots with whom James and Manny were referring
to, seeing as Alicia just announced her collaboration with e.l.f.
Cosmetics.
And given the fact that Alicia has been an advocate for going bare-faced, wearing as
little makeup as possible for years now, the subtweets were that much more obvious.
Fans began coming after James for attacking someone who has never once been a threat to
him, like one user who wrote, “I just don’t understand why you would say it but, just
a few days ago you posted a video promoting Charli and Dixie’s line with Morphe.
Even in the video you said you had to do Dixie’s makeup in her video because she doesn’t
know how to.”
After realizing the backlash his tweet had caused, James also agreed with one user who
wrote, “Alicia Keys ain't say one godd**n word about how only singers should sing while
James Charles was bussing out them tone deaf a** vocals, he got some nerve.
Worrying about the wrong keys sir.”
I’m sorry.
I have to pause because that tweet was savage.
Ok let’s get back to it.
Although Alicia still has yet to react to the subtweet, James seemingly realized that
he was in the wrong for even bringing his issue to light, and shared a lengthy apology
directly to Alicia.
He took to Twitter to write, “Yesterday I posted a subtweet about how I thought some
celebrities shouldn’t launch makeup lines.
It was about @aliciakeys.
A few years ago, she announced that she no longer would wear makeup, so I was bothered
because many celebrities come into the beauty space as a cash grab without any actual passion
and then leave.”
He added QUOTE, “Regardless of my intention with my tweet, it ended up being a microaggression
against someone I respect, so to @aliciakeys I owe a direct apology – I’m sorry.
It wasn’t my place to gate keep this industry.
I can’t wait to support and try out the products and I know the brand will be worth
a billion in a few years.”
Although many still criticized James for even saying anything at all, some fans began praising
him for always owning up to his mistakes.
One fan responded, saying, “The fact you always take ownership of your mistakes & wrongdoings
is admirable..
Much more than what could be said about other people!
Love you always.”
Another user tweeted, “I honestly don't understand why people are so triggered about
this.
He realized his own mistake and apologized.
This is his apology to Alicia.
Not to you.
It is neither your apology to accept nor not to accept.”
Shortly after James’ apology, Manny issued one of his own after also owning up to his
subtweet being about Alicia.
He wrote, “I only tweeted because I know that she stopped wearing makeup years ago,
but I should have researched more to discover that she is working with e.l.f.
Cosmetics to develop SKINCARE.”
Manny admitted that the reason he gets frustrated with the beauty industry is because “so
many celebrities only come out with cosmetics lines as a cash grab.”
He finished his apology by saying, “I apologize to those who I upset with my tweet, and to
Alicia Keys for being so quick to make a judgement.
There is room and space for everyone in this community.”
Making mistakes is all a part of life, and it seems both James and Manny have learned
their lesson while taking full accountability for their actions.
For more YouTuber updates, you can click right over here to watch another Clevver video.
Then be sure to let me know all your thoughts about James and Manny’s apologies to Alicia
down here in the comments.
I’m your host Emile Ennis Jr., bye guys!