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Kayla Malec; James Charles
Here's everything you need to know about the online discourse surrounding Kayla Malec, James Charles, and Evan Johnson.
Beauty influencer James Charles has recently become entwined in the online discourse around a domestic assault case involving content creators Kayla Malec and Evan Johnson. What happened, and why? Let's unpack.
James Charles is a prominent makeup artist and beauty influencer who rose to fame through makeup tutorials on YouTube. However, he's also known for controversies, including feuds with other creators as well as allegations of sexting underage boys in 2021.
Kayla Malec is a popular influencer who has over 16 million followers on TikTok and over 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube. Her relationship with ex-boyfriend and fellow TikTok creator Evan Johnson became a major topic of online discourse (and media coverage) after she uploaded two videos in early April titled "he doesn’t love you." Over the course of the four-hour, two-part confessional, she spoke in detail about how Johnson allegedly physically abused her throughout their nine-month relationship and shared images of apparent bruises. In the process, she garnered significant online sympathy and support.
Malec's first video was posted on April 4; the second on April 9. Johnson was charged with domestic assault on April 6, NBC News reports, and he pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic assault last week. NBC News confirmed with a court representative that Johnson is now in custody and is ordered not to have any contact with Malec. He is also not allowed to operate on TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook accounts in his name.
Last week, Malec posted a video that seemed to indicate the end of the ordeal. In it, she lip-syncs to Kanye West's "Jail" with the words "I WON" written on the video. That video now has over 102.9 million views and is flooded with comments about how Malec sharing her story helped them. Among the commenters was the singer Kesha, who had her own high-profile accusations of abuse against her former producer, Dr. Luke. "I'm so proud of you," Kesha wrote. "A win for one is a win for all of us."
@kaylamalecc IM SOBBING. FOR US. WE DID IT. WE DID IT. #fyp ♬ Jail - Kanye West
Charles was dragged into the conversation after one of Johnson’s former best friends, Zach Sellers, was interviewed by a content creator named Bee Better (whose real name is Markos Bitsakakis). The video, titled "Investigating James Charles," was uploaded on April 29. In it, Sellers accuses Charles of having a sexual relationship with Johnson, along with numerous allegations that were never corroborated or fact-checked. He claims that Charles sided with Johnson after the breakup, and he also accused Charles of coaching Johnson through the public fallout.
In the video description, Bitsakakis allegedly added a disclaimer after the video gained traction that reads, "The views and allegations expressed in this interview are solely those of the interviewee. They do not reflect the views or assertions of the interviewer or this channel. All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise, and this content is intended for public interest and discussion, not as a statement of fact."
After Sellers shared his views, many social media users demanded a response from Charles and were suspicious of his involvement, given his past controversies. In 2021 Charles was accused of and admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to boys as young as 16 years old. After he took accountability for his actions, he took time away from the internet before returning after three months of "self reflection."
Publicly, Charles opted to stay quiet about the accusations around his involvement with Johnson, given that the court case was going on at the time. But a week after Sellers's interview dropped, on May 7, he uploaded a video to TikTok denouncing any sort of connection to Johnson but admitting to a "brief friendship."
@jamescharles filmed this yesterday, but I promised privately that I would wait for the court case to be over before speaking publicly. happy kayla got the justice that she deserves 🤍
♬ original sound - James Charles
"I do not support Evan Johnson in any way, shape, or form, let me make that fucking clear," the 25-year-old influencer said in his video. "I don't support him, I don't support violence against women, and I sure as hell do not support the disgusting, deplorable, heinous acts he [allegedly] committed against Kayla Malec behind closed doors."
Charles goes on to explain his side of the story, claiming that Johnson manipulated him into believing he was a good guy and made him feel as though Johnson was being a friend for helping him out in a time of need. He also said that he stayed quiet during the length of the court case because he was worried that anything he said would be used to "affect the outcome of this trial." Charles also said in the video that he tried to contact Malec, but she was unwilling to have a conversation with him.
The 25-year-old beauty influencer said that he is starting the process of suing Sellers ("and anyone else who thinks it's funny or entertaining to spread defamatory and slanderous lies, misinformation, completely bullshit made up stories for the sake of views, likes, engagement, and galaxies") for defamation. He accused Sellers of using Malec's story as an opportunity to gain attention on social media, saying, "What started off as a video of 'James Charles supporting Evan Johnson behind the scenes,' snowballed into more video, more content, and then livestreams." He continued, "Every single night, Zach has been live, asking for galaxies in exchange for showing 'receipts,' he's been asking his followers for their cities and locations so he can go on tour with Kayla after this is all over with. He's even been asking for donations on PayPal to fund a merch line.'"
After Charles's video, the internet has seen less and less of Sellers, and it seems as though his account may have been deactivated. It's unclear whether or not Charles has formally started the litigation process, given that there have not been any new videos from the influencer since condemning Johnson.
Moises Mendez II is a culture journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He covers internet culture and entertainment including television, movies, music, and more. For the last two years, he was a Culture Reporter at TIME Magazine. Before that, he was a freelance journalist and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Fast Company, and more. Moises holds a master's degree in Arts and Culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
Moises Mendez II is a culture journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He covers internet culture and entertainment including television, movies, music, and more. For the last two years, he was a Culture Reporter at TIME Magazine. Before that, he was a freelance journalist and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Fast Company, and more. Moises holds a master's degree in Arts and Culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
