It’s safe to say James Charles is no stranger to scandal, but now he’s involved in some
Tik Tok drama that has fans disappointed on a whole new level.
I mean will this TikTok drama ever end?!?
What’s up?
It’s Emile Ennis Jr. here with Clevver News bringing you all the news updates from my
at-home Clevver studio.
And James Charles has found himself at the center of some drama yet again.
So after posting some pics of himself sporting a makeup look inspired by TikTok's “Mugshot
Challenge,” some fans were not happy.
And in case you aren’t super familiar with what’s trending on Tik Tok, it’s become
one of the biggest beauty trend drivers.
There are tutorial videos on everything from how to curl your hair with a bathrobe string
to how to cut your bangs in just one cut.
And the latest beauty trend is a bit more controversial in comparison.
Recently, TikTok users have taken to the app to create "fake mugshots" and hashtag ‘mugshot’
currently has more than 106 million views on the platform.
The videos look a little something like this…
And many of the other videos include things like smudged eyeliner, mascara runs, messed
up hair, and yes, even painted on fake injuries.
The challenge seems to have started on TikTok with influencers like Corinna Kopf and Abby
Roberts posting their fake mugshots.
And when James Charles jumped in on the challenge, many of his fans criticized him for “glamorizing
abuse.”
We’ll break it all down for you, but first, don’t forget to subscribe to Clevver News
so you never miss out on any breaking news or TikTok drama updates.
Alright, so over the weekend, James posted these photos with a fake black eye and bloody
nose as his “fake mugshots” on Twitter and the criticism started pouring in.
And I have to start off by asking, do you guys think this challenge is problematic?
And do you think James should’ve known better than to participate?
Let me know down in the comments below and get that conversation started.
And before we get into some of these fan responses, I just wanted to give a trigger warning here
because some fans talk about some pretty heavy topics.
So please only continue watching if you feel comfortable doing so.
Alright, so one fan responded to James and wrote quote, “Ya know whats not cute?
Doing up your makeup like this & tiggering alot of people who suffer from ptsd of abuse.
This isnt a super cute fuckin trend you and everyone else should be getting behind much
less participating in.
Completely distasteful.
Disappointed but NOT surprised.”
Another simply wrote quote, “violence isn’t an aesthetic”
And another said quote, “I don't understand why this would be a trend.
I love James but it's not fun having your face bruised and not being able to cover them
up.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive but this made me feel really uncomfortable because I couldn't
take mine off.
It made me feel so dehumanized.”
And James actually replied to this fan and wrote quote, “hi babe, I’m so sorry that
you went through something so awful and traumatic.
it’s a tik tok trend going around where people post their “mugshots” and has nothing
to do with domestic violence whatsoever.
love you”
But many people weren’t here for James’ explanation, saying the photos were still
triggering for those who have experienced violence and asked him to delete or edit the
posts.
One person replied to James’ explanation saying quote, “Sorry but this does not look
like a mugshot, you have to know that.
There's no visual cue that it is and no caption.
You have to at least understand that.
You could of done something to make it clear.
This just missed the mark personally as an explanation.”
And another person argued the photos are tone deaf either way, because incarceration isn't
a “trend.”
This person wrote quote, “ur telling me a ‘mugshot’ has become a trend.
doing makeup to look like you've gotten beat and brutalized by police.
You know people of color actually get beat by police and taken to precincts for mugshots,
half of the time just for being black.
when they see us shoulda taught ya smth”
So it seems like the overall consensus from fans is that while James and other influencers
might see the #mugshotchallenge as another way to experiment with makeup, these videos
and photos can be triggering and upsetting to those who have experienced abuse.
Obviously, making light of something as serious as violence is never okay even if that isn't
the intention.
But even after responding to that one fan, James spoke out again on the controversy he’s
received for this challenge.
He took to Twitter and wrote quote, “only I could lazily smudge on some purple eyeshadow
and fake blood to recreate a dumb tik tok trend and have it twisted into an actual scandal
lol”
And when a fan replied saying quote, “I don’t think it’s just you, it’s the
trend itself that’s triggering for many”
James wrote back saying quote, “I do understand that but this dumb trend has nothing to do
with domestic abuse.
what about action movies?
halloween? special effects?
simple bloody noses? this is nothing new”
He also posed a question to the fans criticizing him writing quote, “genuine question, the
weeknd's new album shows him bleeding, with a broken nose, and with bruises, yet I haven't
seen a single tweet about him glorifying violence or abuse? can someone please explain how it's
any different i'm really trying to understand”
And fans have been back and forth on James’s response in the comments.
James eventually went ahead and deleted the photos writing quote, “despite the fact
that hundreds of other influencers and artists have done something similar, I deleted the
mugshot trend because it was never my intention to trigger anyone & it's a waste of time trying
to have an open discussion with people who hate me regardless”
Feel free to let me know if you think James made the right choice and how you feel about
all of this down in the comments below.
But alright that's the news I've got for now, if you want more on James’ recent controversies,
click over here for another Clevver News video.
I'm Emile Ennis Jr. thanks for watching and I'll catch you later!