'Too Hot to Handle' star Harry Jowsey said he's 'deeply embarrassed' after audio of him using a homophobic slur towards James Charles emerged
- 'Too Hot to Handle' star Harry Jowsey has apologized after using a homophobic slur on his podcast.
- Jowsey reportedly called YouTuber James Charles the slur in a now-deleted portion of his podcast.
Reality TV star Harry Jowsey has apologized after an audio recording of him calling YouTuber James Charles a homophobic slur began to circulate last night.
Jowsey made the comment about Charles during the recording of his latest podcast episode, TMZ reports.
In the clip, which is no longer part of the podcast but has circulated online, Jowsey can be heard saying, "James Charles is trying to fuck me [...] the makeup artist. You don't know who he is?" He then referred to Charles with the homophobic slur.
22-year-old James Charles is one of the most prominent makeup YouTubers on the platform with 24.5 million subscribers. He and Jowsey have crossed paths before, most notably during an event with several other influencers at LA bar 40 Love to celebrate photographer Bryant Eslava's birthday last year, according to Perez Hilton. The pair have also interacted on Instagram, with Charles commenting on one of Jowsey's posts last week.
Jowsey, 24, is an actor who shot to fame after appearing as a contestant in Season 1 of the Netflix dating show 'Too Hot to Handle" two years ago. In March, Jowsey launched his podcast "Tap in with Harry Jowsey."
The podcast episode in question is still live, but TMZ reports it appears to have been shortened from 40 minutes to 27 minutes, with the comment about Charles edited out.
Jowsey has since addressed the comments in both an Instagram Live and a statement to TMZ. The livestream is no longer available publicly, but it has been recorded by news outlet PopBuzz, and reuploaded to various social media platforms.
In the stream, Jowsey can be seen saying, "The person that I said these things about I did immediately apologize. I've mended things in private. I just wanted to come on here and say that I am extremely embarrassed about myself, my actions, and the fact that I let such a word slip out."
He continued, "So I just want to say to James, my friend, that I said this word about, I am deeply sorry. We have mended things in private but I just wanted to come on here and say that to the rest of the LGBTQ+ community that I'm going to take some time to educate myself on this and apologize. This word doesn't belong in my vocabulary and it shouldn't be spoken about."
He signed off by pledging that he was going to take time to educate himself and "actively pursue being a better human and being a better impact."
In his further statement to TMZ, Jowsey added, "I'm deeply embarrassed that I used such an offensive term so casually in conversation. I spoke with James already privately and I look forward to using this as a learning experience and not forgetting the weight that my words carry. I also want to sincerely apologize to the entire LGBTQ+ community who I wholeheartedly support."
Last month, in an episode of the "BFFs" podcast with Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, Jowsey said he had been romantically involved with transgender YouTuber Nikita Dragun, and pledged his support for transgender women.
Jowsey said, "For me, it's just like hooking up with another girl because I honestly see trans women as women. I don't see it as a big deal."
Jowsey, Charles, and Dragun did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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