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YouTuber James Charles loses three million subscribers after feud with Tati Westbrook

The beauty guru has been accused of sexually harassing straight men

Published

7 years ago

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James Charles. (Screenshot via YouTube)

Beauty YouTuber James Charles has lost three million subscribers in the midst of a feud with beauty guru and former friend Tati Westbrook.

Charles, 19, credits Westbrook, 37, for getting him interested in makeup. Westbrook also served as a mentor to Charles in the industry.

The breakdown of their friendship began on April 22 when Charles, who formerly boasted 16 million subscribers on YouTube, posted an Instagram video for Sugar Bear Hair during Coachella. Westbrook owns beauty supplement company Halo Beauty, which is a competitor of Sugar Bear Hair. Westbrook posted on her Instagram that she felt “betrayed” by someone but did not specify who.

Charles released a statement apologizing to Westbrook for promoting Sugar Bear Hair.

“I want to publicly apologize to my close friend, Tati. She has been like a mother to me since my first days in this industry and has given me more love, support, resources and advice than I could ever ask for,” Charles wrote. “This weekend I did an Instagram story for sleep vitamins that I’ve been taking because the brand helped me with security when the crowd around me at Coachella became unsafe. I did not accept any money from this post.”

Westbrook then responded with a 43-minute video titled “Bye Sister,” a reference to Charles’ nickname for his fans, where she detailed her issues with Charles.

“How entitled do you have to be to think that you have it rough? You are a 19-year-old millionaire,” she says in the video which has more than 35 million views. “You do not get to wake up and stress out about how unfair your job is. That is so ridiculous to me. Get off your high horse and have some respect. You don’t have any for the people who are in this industry and that’s the sad fact.”

Westbrook explains that she and her husband James felt betrayed by Charles because they both assisted with his career. She also accuses Charles of making snide comments about other YouTubers and for being sexually inappropriate with a straight waiter. Charles, who is gay, has been accused of making sexual advances towards straight men in the past.

Charles responded with an eight-minute video titled simply “Tati” where he apologized for his behavior

“To Tati and James Westbrook I’m sorry for everything that is going on, everything that I’ve put you through over the past few weeks,” Charles says.
“Most of my career over the past few years has been about me making mistakes and trying to learn and grow from them. I haven’t always done the best job of that, I can admit that. But I have always tried.”

Since Westbrook’s video, Charles subscriber count has rapidly dropped. He has also been unfollowed by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian-West, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes and fellow YouTubers Shane Dawson and Tana Mongeau.

Westbrook spoke out for the first time since posting her video tweeting, “My heart is still too heavy. I feel like I need to remind you that we can hold truth & inspire change without grabbing onto hate. Honor your blessings, don’t abuse them. Celebrating pain will only bring it to your door. Love you guys, see you soon.”

The beauty guru drama inspired memes from people who weren’t familiar with the beauty guru community and people who just wanted to indulge in some gossip.

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PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

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11 hours ago

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August 9, 2026

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A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

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1 day ago

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August 8, 2026

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Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

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Books

Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

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1 day ago

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August 8, 2026

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(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

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