Shane Dawson appeared in his fiancée Rylan Adams' YouTube video, which is the first time he's been visible online since his fall from grace over the summer.- Adams redesigned their bedroom in an effort to get Dawson — who is notoriously nocturnal — to come upstairs.
- The video was filmed in June, before Dawson apologized for his past content that included racial slurs, dressing in blackface, and making sexual jokes about children.
- Reactions to Dawson's reemergence on the platform was mixed, with some saying it was too soon for a return. Others said they were happy and relieved to see him again.
- The video could have been a way to test the water to see if fans were ready for a comeback, but it could also have just been an old video Adams wanted to upload, regardless of the drama.
Shane Dawson made a quiet return to his
Adams redesigned his and Dawson's bedroom in an attempt to get his partner, who is notorious for staying up all night, to spend time in their bedroom.
Dawson appeared in the video right from the beginning, talking about his hair, lockdown, and his fear of the nighttime, while Adams discussed his plans for redecorating the room. A caption at the start noted the footage was from June 15, a couple of weeks before Dawson's dramatic fall from grace.
In July, Dawson apologized for his past content that included racial slurs, dressing in blackface, and making sexual jokes about children. It wasn't the first time his problematic history had come back to haunt him, but thanks to a ruthless callout by Jada Pinkett Smith bringing more eyes on the situation than ever, the criticism was more fierce.
The internet completely turned against Dawson and he lost over a million subscribers. He has been absent from the internet ever since July, although Adams and his sister Morgan Adams have addressed their association with him in separate videos.
Reactions to Dawson's apparent comeback were mixed. Some thought it was too soon for Dawson to reappear because people were still reeling from "
"This is a bold f---ing move," said YouTuber Adam McIntyre in a reaction video, adding that seeing Dawson in the video actually made him quite uncomfortable. "You're not even dipping your feet in anymore, you're f---ing body-diving in, because this is just, let's be real, people are not warmed up to the fact of Shane Dawson coming back yet."
Tea channel Spill Sesh said "I was NOT expecting to see this today," sharing a screenshot of the video to Twitter.
"So this is happening?" fellow tea channel Tea Sesh tweeted. "We're just gonna act like Shane Dawson didn't insinuate that he had child porn on his computer? Pretend he didn't kiss a 12-year-old? Act like he isn't a HUGE racist? They're heavily blocking words from their comment section pretending like everyone forgot."
—Spill Sesh (@spillseshYT) September 9, 2020
The comments on Adams' video show another side of the story. Dawson's fans, of which there are still over 20 million, shared words of support and said how pleased they were to see his face.
"I don't care about everyone's witch hunt against Shane, I'm just so relieved to see him again," said one fan called Amy B. "I can't imagine how difficult all of this drama and hatred from strangers would be, so I'm glad you have each other's backs."
"I was genuinely worried about Shane," said another. "I'm so glad to see him here again and see he's ok."
Other people were torn about how to feel, saying they were glad to see Dawson but still had mixed feelings about his past controversies.
"I just wish he would explain all this, I don't like being in this state of, 'is this person I've loved for so many years a terrible human or is he okay?'" one fan said. "Shane, me and many other people are just heartbroken and worried about you. You've played such a big role in our lives and we want to give you a chance, we miss you."
Another said they were disappointed in Dawson's "creepy humor," but "human to human I was worried."
If the timestamp is correct, it has been three months since the video was filmed, so it's unclear whether it's pointing towards Dawson's return or if it's simply an old video Adams wanted to upload. Either way, it looks like Dawson would have a solid fanbase despite his fall from favor if he decides to return, although it's clear some may never be ready — or willing — to forgive.
- Read more:
- Shane Dawson's fiancé Ryland Adams responded to beauty guru Tati Westbrook's explosive video, calling her a 'two-faced liar'
- Shane Dawson quietly launched new merchandise while staying silent on his controversies
- Shane Dawson's fiancé Ryland Adams speaks out about Dawson's old, offensive content
- Shane Dawson's soon-to-be sister-in-law Morgan Adams spoke out about his old racist videos: 'I don't even recognize that person'
- YouTuber Joey Graceffa is coming under fire for old blackface videos with Shane Dawson