- By Ian Youngs
- Entertainment reporter
image source, Getty Images
Ballinger is best known for creating the hit character Miranda Sings
YouTube star Colleen Ballinger has addressed accusations of toxic relationships with fans by posting a video in which she defends herself with a song while playing the ukulele.
Best known for her character Miranda Singhs, the American creator has been around since 2008.
last week, Rolling Stone reported that dozens of fans said they were “bullied, intimidated, and embarrassed by Ballinger and her cast members.”
in her videoShe said that people were saying things that were “not quite true”.
Five former fans told Rolling Stone about their friendship with Ballinger, which resulted in interactions they told the magazine were “toxic, exploitative, and hurtful,” including sending sexually suggestive messages and telling jokes at their expense.
After posting her 10-minute song in response, Ballinger accepted that she “used to message my fans, but not in a creepy way as many of you would try to suggest,” adding, “It was kind of a let down.”
She sang: “Early in my career, I really didn’t understand that maybe there had to be some boundaries there. There were times in DMs that I would get over the details of my life, which was really weird for me.
“I haven’t done it in years, you see, because I changed my behavior and took responsibility.”
Ballinger has 8.6 million subscribers, nearly 2 billion views on YouTube, and 8.1 million followers on Instagram.
In the chorus, she sings that those who air their grievances have boarded the “toxic gossip train”, which rushes “on the track of disinformation”, and that she “will not survive the crash”.
She said that “their goal is to destroy the life of the person you despise”, and “it doesn’t matter that these things aren’t right”.
She added that everyone now thinks she is “the kind of person who manipulates and abuses children”.
“So I just wanted to say that the only thing I’m groomed with is my Persian cat. I’m not a groomer. I’m just a loser who didn’t understand I shouldn’t answer to a fan. And I’m not a predator even though a lot of you think that.”
“Sometimes people can make mistakes and that doesn’t make them a terrible person,” she added.
However, her response, and the unconventional nature of the music video, did not please her followers. Many on social media criticized and mocked her obvious trappings and insincerity.
Future teen idol. Typical social media ninja. Alcohol buff. Explorer. Creator. Beer advocate.”