YouTuber Colleen Ballinger denies grooming allegations with song
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Colleen Ballinger, the popular YouTuber known for her quirky, red lipstick-wearing character Miranda Sings, is facing backlash from fans for denying the grooming accusations against her with a bizarre ukulele song.
The 36-year-old personality, whose content mostly appeals to preteens, uploaded a 10-minute video Wednesday entitled “hi.” She flippantly took “accountability” for her actions while simultaneously criticizing cancel culture.
“Some people are saying things about me that just aren’t true,” she said in a sing-song voice. “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.”
Ballinger, who has been on YouTube for more than 15 years, stated that early in her career she “used to message my fans — but not in a creepy way, like a lot of you are trying to suggest. It was more of a loser kind of way. I was just trying to be besties with everybody.”
She admitted that “there were times in DMs when I would overshare,” but said she “changed my behavior and took accountability.”
Her statements are in response to accusations by YouTuber Adam McIntyre, 20, who first claimed in a 2020 YouTube video that Ballinger allegedly formed an inappropriate personal friendship with him while he was 13 to 16 years old.
He alleged Ballinger sent him lingerie as a joke, gave him access to her social media and exchanged text messages with him for years.
This month, McIntyre uploaded another YouTube video, “my relationship with colleen ballinger,” in which he accused her of “grooming” him and other teenagers in the 2010s.
The video, which is nearly two hours long, has over 541,000 views.
The Post has contacted reps for Ballinger and McIntyre for comment.
“I just wanted to say that the only thing I’ve ever groomed is my two Persian cats,” Ballinger claimed Wednesday. “I’m not a groomer, I’m just a loser who didn’t understand I shouldn’t respond to fans. I’m not a predator even though a lot of you think so because five years ago I made a fart joke.”
She was referencing a recently resurfaced video from a Miranda Sings live show where Ballinger stood over a young female fan who has her legs spread as a fake fart sound plays from the stage, insinuating that the fan passed gas.
At least two companies who pay for ads on Ballinger’s podcast severed ties with her after the video went viral.
Ballinger continued in her new song: “I’m sure you’re disappointed in my sh—y little song / I know you wanted me to say that I was 100% in the wrong / well I’m sorry I’m not gonna take that route / of admitting to lies and rumors that you made up for clout.”
She also reminded viewers that her Miranda Sings content is “PG-13” — and that Miranda’s videos are not available on the YouTube Kids app — as it’s the responsibility of parents to decide what is and isn’t suitable for their children.
“For what it’s worth, I never had any bad intentions, but I do feel like s–t,” Ballinger added towards the end of the video.
Fans couldn’t believe what they were watching Wednesday.
“This is the most insanely out of touch ‘apology’ video ever. congrats that’s history made on youtube i guess,” one disappointed viewer commented of Ballinger’s video.
“Girl, I wanted to believe you but this was not the way to handle it at all,” another wrote.
“This video shows your true colors,” someone else claimed.
Another agreed: “This is rough lmao, won’t admit how wrong you were/are.”
“This better be on SNL,” one viewer nervously laughed.
“I need an apology for this apology,” someone else begged.
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