- Influencer Miia Kinnunen has returned to YouTube after previously admitting to lying in her videos.
- In June, she said she has a problem with "pathological lying" and apologized for using a "blaccent."
A 22-year-old YouTube influencer who admitted to lying in most of her videos has returned to the platform after a three-month hiatus.
Miia Kinnunen, who goes by the username miiasaurous, said in her October 26 video, titled, "Coming Back to YouTube," that she was "excited for people to know who I actually am," rather than see some "bullshit fabricated version of myself."
Kinnunen, who has 1.13 million YouTube subscribers, was previously best known for posting "storytime" videos where she shared accounts of drug use, having a sugar daddy, and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But in a video posted on June 26, she said she fabricated "95%" of the information she shared.
She told viewers that she has "a problem with compulsive and pathological lying," a type of chronic behavior that involves frequently deceiving others. According to Heathline, it is sometimes linked to existing mental health conditions, but sometimes there is no clinical cause behind it.
"I lied about the most egregious, fucking batshit crazy insane things. I lied about having a sugar daddy, I lied about having multiples, I lied about doing drugs," Kinnunen said, explaining that she said those things because she wanted to "feel cool."
"It's wrong to promote deceitful behavior, and it's wrong to lie about those things because there are real-life consequences from them. For one the drug thing. What does that send out to people, especially the fucking young people?" she continued.
Kinnunen, who is of mixed white and Asian heritage, also apologized to viewers for using an appropriative accent and slang that stereotypes Black Americans, known colloquially as a "blaccent."
"I hope I can come back and things will be different," she said.
In comments under the video, some viewers said they admired her for telling the truth, while others said they felt "betrayed" by her lies.
One top commenter suggested that they were going to stop watching her content because of the controversy, writing, "I'm glad you're acknowledging it and apologizing, and I hope your life is full of happiness and stability after this, but I'm out."
In her October 26 comeback video, Kinnunen reasserted her apology to the Black community for using a "blaccent" and to people who have been diagnosed with mental health issues after she lied about having bipolar disorder.
"I have removed all of the past content and I believe it has no place on the internet anymore," she said.
Kinnunen said she would start uploading more regularly from next week and that she would be donating the proceeds generated from her content to people from the communities she offended.
Many top comments under the video supported Kinnunen's return to YouTube.
"It takes gigantic fucking balls for her to even admit to lying about all of the things she's lied about. That in itself is a reason to give her a chance," said one comment under the video, which has 563 likes.
Kinnunen did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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