Featured Image Credit: YouTube/blndsundoll4mj/Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Topics: YouTube, Social Media, Celebrity
Anish Vij
Topics: YouTube, Social Media, Celebrity
Trisha Paytas has spoken out after her former podcast partner Colleen Ballinger has been accused of forming 'inappropriate personal relationships' with teenage fans.
Ballinger has also been accused of sending nudes of Paytas to fans without their consent, including one fan who was a minor. This was done without Paytas' knowledge or permission.
Ballinger, 36, - who is best known for her online alter ego 'Miranda Sings' - has received backlash due to alleged 'inappropriate' behaviour, with allegations first surfacing three years ago.
Fellow YouTuber Adam McIntyre, 20, accused Ballinger of forming an 'inappropriate personal friendship' with him, starting when he was just 13 years old.
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McIntyre claimed Ballinger had sent him lingerie 'as a joke', and that they had exchanged text messages with him for years.
With an increasing number of claims, Ballinger denied the accusations in a music video titled 'hi', which was posted on YouTube last week (June 28).
She said: “Even though my team has strongly advised me not to say what I’m going to say, I realized they never said I couldn’t sing about what I want to say.”
The YouTuber admitted that she 'used to message [her] fans' early in her career, but insisted it was 'not in a creepy way, like a lot of you are trying to suggest'.
Now, her former podcast co-host Paytas has addressed the backlash.
Taking to the social media platform, she uploaded a new video to her channel titled 'colleen'.
On Monday (July 3) the media personality said: "I wasn't aware of these most recent things that are coming out.
"Everyone knows I have a very, very, very firm stance on talking to anyone underage, platonic or not.
"I have a lot of trauma when it comes to my relationships I had when I was underage. And not always sexual, a lot of my trauma comes from school.
"Authorities at school. Teachers at school that I trusted.
Paytas says she was 'shocked' by Ballinger's music video apology.
"Hey, it's been a while since you saw my face. I haven't been doing so great, so I took a little break. A lot of people are saying some things about me that aren't quite true. Doesn't matter if it's true, though, just as long as it's entertaining to you," Ballinger sang.
"Her video came out, and I was just shocked to say the least that she didn't at least acknowledge the stuff that her own fans were saying, how they felt," Paytas continued.
"It's a topic I don't take lightly, and I can't take lightly, as I am a full-time sex worker... We already have a lot of stigma, misconceptions, allegations against us as sex workers and so I need to nip this in the bud."
Paytas added that she was 'embarrassed to be associated with' her former friend.
UNILAD has contacted Colleen Ballinger's representatives for comment.