A complete timeline of every controversy Nikita Dragun has been in since her rise to YouTube fame in 2014

Dragun has grown her platform on YouTube to 3 million subscribers. She's worked on a number of brand deals and business ventures, including launching her own cosmetics line, Dragun Beauty, in 2019.

Dragun joined TikTok in May 2020, and has since amassed 13 million followers — more than she has on any other platform. She is currently a member of the Hype House, a TikTok creator collective starring in an upcoming Netflix show.

Despite her success as an influencer, the 25-year-old has since become the subject of multiple controversies including accusations of "blackfishing" — a practice which involves artificially darkening the skin in order to appear a different race, or racially ambiguous — along with partying during the coronavirus pandemic and feuding with other YouTubers online.

Here are all the controversies Dragun has been involved in since 2014.

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In March 2017, Dragun posed in promotional images for the release of an eyeshadow palette called Androgyny from Jeffree Star Cosmetics. She posted one of the photos from the shoot on her Instagram and was immediately faced with accusations of blackfishing as people believed her skin looked noticeably darker than usual.

Blackfishing is a form of cultural appropriation whereby people who are not Black artificially darken their skin to look Black, biracial, or racially ambiguous.

Dragun responded to the criticism in a statement to "Seventeen," in which she said that she was "disappointed" by the backlash she received because of the campaign.

"It's very unfortunate that a section of the community is choosing to interpret and liken my image in Jeffree Star's campaign to blackface," Dragun wrote in the email.

She said that the message of the campaign was supposed to be about inclusivity and that the "creative design for the imagery called for high contrast between light and shadow, and low lighting, which lends itself to creating a mood for the imagery."

Dragun ended by saying she is proud of her Vietnamese and Mexican roots and that she was disheartened "that anyone would choose to critique the creative design of this incredibly inclusive campaign, rather than celebrate the diversity in it."

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In 2019, Dragun attended the MTV Video Music Awards with three men on leashes. One of the men was Black, which Dragun immediately faced backlash for.

"Black men on chains is NEVER a good look," one person wrote on Twitter.

Another person commented that the outfit was inappropriate, "considering the current news cycle about a Black man led by rope, by police, through a town and of course the long history of treating Black people like livestock. @NikitaDragun this is absolute trash."

The Twitter user was referring to a viral incident in Gavelston, Texas that occurred earlier that month. In a video shared widely on social media, two police on horses were seen leading a Black man on a rope.

According to Seventeen, Dragun wrote on her Instagram story in August 2020 that she only knew she was going to the awards show three days prior. The publication reported that Dragun also mentioned that the outfit was inspired by a look that Snoop Dogg arrived at the 2003 VMAs in — in which he walked with two women on a leash.

She also said the outfit took inspiration from her ex-boyfriend, whom she said once spread a rumor that she "hired" him to be her boyfriend. Dragun reportedly added that she "ended up making the most controversial and talked about moments of the 2019 MTV VMAs and will forever be known as the girl who walked men on diamond leashes."

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In September 2019, Dragun faced criticism after she was photographed attending New York Fashion Week wearing box braids — a hairstyle that is typically worn by Black women — and was accused of cultural appropriation. Dragun is half-Mexican and half-Vietnamese. 

After she was called out, she posted a photo of herself in the braids on Instagram and claimed that she wore the hairstyle to "show my love and appreciation for all the gorgeous black women in my life" in a lengthy post defending her use of the hairstyle.

"I was inspired to do this box braid wig because I find it so beautiful," she wrote in the caption. "Too often there's a double standard when another person takes inspiration from black culture. suddenly it's a new trend or it's renamed to be something else."

She went on to say that hearing stories of Black women getting sent home from school or work because of their hairstyle was "beyond disheartening." She finished by saying that she would continue to use her platform "to spread awareness and equality for all but especially for women."

Some found the statement to be satisfactory, with one person commenting, "Thank you, credit is all we want," while others went on to call her "anti-Black." Some people felt the response did not do much to rectify the situation. "I don't get why people think this is a way to "appreciate" our culture," an Instagram user commented on her photo. "it just makes you look ignorant and stupid because it's not made for your type of hair, your hair is going to fall out."

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On June 14, former Hype House member Daisy Keech posted a photo of herself on vacation in Mexico with Dragun's ex-boyfriend, model and reality TV star Michael Yerger.

The following day, Dragun tweeted, "I ain't even mad when I see my ex with another girl. Like you 'bout to be just as embarrassed as I was when you find out what he's really about."

Keech quote-tweeted Dragun's tweet saying, "Nikita, whatever happened is in the past. There's no need to tear others down. I hope you can move on and be happy. We truly wish you the best."

Yerger also responded to the tweet, saying, "You still love using that word 'ex.' Lmfao, it's been far too long to keep bugging about an old hoax. Wish you the best Nikita."

In an October 2018 video titled "I Hired a Boyfriend," Dragun said she hired Yerger to be her boyfriend and found him on "Craigslist." But in a March 2019 video, she claimed it was a joke. "It was just a really great video title," she said. 

She confirmed the two broke up in July 2019. She said in a video announcing their breakup that he was using her to advance his own career.

StylesRant.com reported that Yerger confirmed this by writing in an Instagram story, "Let it be known that my life was changing for the better at this point. A few tags from her and she was opening doors for me left and right. I pretty much got brought out of the woodwork from her 'fake boyfriend idea."

After the back and forth between Keech, Yerger, and Dragun, the Dragun Beauty founder asked her followers not to tag her in things relating to her ex-boyfriend. "I'm going to ask just one time, really nicely, if you see anything with my ex, or whatever, just don't tag me, just don't," the 25-year-old influencer wrote. "Don't interact ... I'm so far past all of that situation. I'm genuinely so happy. I know everyone can tell."

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On July 13, Dragun's cosmetic line Dragun Beauty posted a video on Instagram promoting a product called "Saint Pu---stunt Candle." The candle featured a picture of Dragun stylized to look like a saint. It was part of a trend which saw independent businesses and Etsy shops replace the faces of saints with those of celebrities like Kim Kardashian — which she got backlash for promoting — Jonathan Van Ness from "Queer Eye," and the "Golden Girls" characters.

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Some people argued that the trend was disrespectful to Catholicism. Dragun's post was filled with comments like "the fact that she disregarded everybody's feelings and still posting this disrespectful shit to our religion speaks volumes," and, "To everyone who bought them… wtf do yall not care if an influencer disrespects a whole ass religion???? Like whaat??" 

Dragun never addressed the controversy.

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During the coronavirus pandemic, some social media influencers defied public-health guidelines and threw large parties. On July 21, the Hype House threw a party for friend and housemate Larri "Larray"  Merrit's 22nd birthday.

The party was attended by a handful of notable influencers including Dragun, James Charles, Tana Mongeau, Charli, Dixie D'Amelio, and Emma Chamberlain. 

YouTuber Tyler Oakley called out the famous partygoers including Dragun on Twitter and urged them to use their platforms to "encourage responsibility during a worldwide pandemic."

Merritt responded and vowed to do better. "I understand 100% where [you're] coming from and it was a dumb thing to do," Merrit replied to Oakley. "I will do better and will actually take this shit seriously. Appreciate you Tyler, much love."

Dragun faced backlash for being one of the creators that attended the party and never addressed the controversy.

Less than a week after Dragun and multiple influencers were called out for the maskless party at the Hype House, Dragun attended a party for former Hype House member Mia Hayward.

Social media users were quick to send criticism Dragun's way. One commenter tweeted, "Nikita Dragun girl you HAVE a platform. Use it for good & telling people to wear masks & stay home in quarantine & six feet apart when in public. Not for throwing a party and showing it off all on your Instagram story during a world pandemic."

Defnoodles, an influencer watchdog account on Twitter, reported that she responded to the criticism saying "I just decorated the top floor of the Hype House. The only people that came already lived there."

Dragun did not wear a mask at many of the gatherings she attended during the pandemic. 

In a September 2020 interview with influencer paparazzo Hollywood Fix at Saddle Ranch restaurant, a popular influencer hotspot in Los Angeles, she approached the camera without a mask and was asked by an employee multiple times to put a mask on.

Dragun also joined the large number of influencers and celebrities that traveled for New Year's Eve in 2020. She vacationed in Miami and was spotted maskless in a hotel elevator.

"Everyone's gonna yell at me because I'm not wearing a mask," Dragun can be heard saying.

In February 2021, Dragun used a small face shield as a mask, but was criticized for not wearing it correctly and constantly moving it away from her face for pictures.

Most recently, on two occasions less than a week apart, Dragun was seen using her hands as a mask.

Dragun posted a photo of herself on Instagram promoting a face powder from her Dragun Cosmetics line in February 2021.

She was again met with accusations of blackfishing. "Waiting for Nikita Dragun to get cancelled for the 100000th time for the same thing," one person wrote on Twitter.

Another social media user accused her of doing blackface. "Can't believe Nikita Dragun is still getting away with doing Blackface in the year of our lord 2021," they said. 

Dragun did not comment on this controversy.

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For her 25th birthday, Dragun threw a party with notable guests including Hype House members Thomas Petrou and Merrit, YouTuber Patrick Starr, and influencer Tana Mongeau. The party also featured Dragun coming out of a vagina-shaped door.

Videos of the night were shared across social media and featured the influencers getting very close to each other without wearing masks. One video showed Starr and Mongeau kissing and then Mongeau can be heard saying, "And what the fu-- about it?"

YouTuber Chris Klemens called Dragun "lame and sh----" in a tweet the day after the party. 

Following criticism, Dragun posted a photo of COVID-19 tests with text that read, "All my guests were tested."

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Netflix announced on April 22 that it will be releasing a new reality television show centered around the TikTok creators in the Hype House.

The creator collective was co-founded in 2019 by Thomas Petrou, Daisy Keech, Alex Warren, and Chase Hudson (aka Lil Huddy) — who was rumored to date Charli D'Amelio and has recently begun his musical career with two singles. Notable members included both of the D'Amelio sisters and the Lopez brothers, who are since no longer a part of the collective.

The TikTokers who are currently a part of the Hype House include Dragun, Merrit, Alex Warren, Hudson, Kouvr Annon, Sienna Mae Gomez, Petrou, and Jack Wright.

After the show was announced, Netflix faced pushback and criticism for giving the Hype House a show but canceling some of their favorite shows like "The Society." Social media users claimed they would be canceling their subscriptions.

Dragun responded to the pushback saying, "You can't get mad at people for winning and succeeding, and if you do, you're literally just like a hater."