Colleen Ballinger, aka Miranda Sings, has found herself in more controversy - or should we say has put herself there on purpose? After accusations from fans that she sent them sexually suggestive messages, ‘groomed’ them, and ‘trauma dumped’ on them when they were underage, the YouTuber's online empire is crumbling at her feet, but it hasn't prompted her to step back from the spotlight.
Instead of hiding under a rock like many would, Colleen decided to tackle the controversy head-on and God, we wish she didn’t. Colleen uploaded a so-called apology to her YouTube channel, which really was just her, ahem, singing and playing the ukelele. As if that wasn't bad enough, she's gone and released it officially on Apple Music in what seems to be an unashamed attempt to profit off this cooked situation.
Colleen oh-so-originally named the non-apologetic song ‘Toxic Gossip Train.’ The song quickly became infamous, for her lack of remorse and accountability for her alleged ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
Unsurprisingly, people weren't thrilled with her song. They felt like she was downplaying some serious allegations by turning them into a catchy tune. I mean, come on Colleen, read the room!
Some even speculated that Colleen had ulterior motives for releasing the song. They thought she did it so she could claim copyright on anyone who featured clips of it in their videos. Sneaky move, right?
Well, turns out those speculations might just be true. YouTube star Ethan Klein from H3H3Productions recently tweeted that Colleen uploaded ‘Toxic Gossip Train’ to CD Baby, a platform where musicians can monetise their music.
He claimed she's now going after YouTubers, including himself, who used her song in their videos.
The song is also available on the streaming platform Apple Music.
SOURCE: Apple Music
Needless to say, fans are outraged. They're calling out Colleen for being hypocritical and out of touch. I mean, she accused others of trying to cash in on the drama, but now she's doing the same thing herself!
This latest addition to the scandal only adds fuel to the fire.
Fans are starting to question whether Colleen's attempt to address the allegations was genuine or just a PR move. And let me tell you, that's not a good place to be in.
ICYMI - In the song, Colleen admitted that she did engage in group chats with fans, but she denied it was ever "creepy." She even went on to accuse her former fans (which we can only assume is directed to her main accuser Adam McIntyre) of spreading “lies and rumours” for attention, claiming they were just trying to cash in on her downfall.
I wish I was lying when I say she actually said: “The only thing I’ve ever groomed is my two Persian cats.”
So far, Colleen hasn't said a word about Ethan's tweet or the backlash that followed. We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, though.
