Trisha Paytas and other YouTubers are facing backlash for showing support for Shane Dawson
- Some of Shane Dawson's friends have spoken out in support of him, but received criticism in return.
- Dawson is currently surrounded by controversy after old clips of his problematic content resurfaced, and because of his involvement in Karmageddon.
- Brittani Taylor shared a story about Dawson giving an iPad to a stranger and how he supported her through leaving an abusive relationship.
- Trisha Paytas said she did not condone "any thoughts, jokes, or anything to do with underage kids," but Dawson is not "a monster," while Eugenia Cooney echoed her message.
- Some responded in solidarity, but others felt Dawson had the drama coming.
Some of Shane Dawson's friends on YouTube have jumped to his defence in the midst of Karmageddon. Dawson is currently in the middle of being canceled by the beauty community, Will Smith's family, and everyone on social media all at once since clips of his old, problematic content resurfaced.
Trisha Paytas, Brittani Taylor, and Eugenia Cooney have all posted tweets in support of Dawson, and told their own side of what they know about his character.
Taylor said in a tweet last night she had some "thoughts about Shane Dawson." She included a story about how Dawson once gave an iPad to a stranger.
"Shane has done countless things just like this, in all the time I have known him, with no recognition," she said. "No tweet, or post, about his good deeds."
She also said Dawson had helped her through leaving an abusive relationship, which she spoke about in one of his recent conspiracy theory videos.
"Has he said and done some really stupid things in his twenties? Heck yes!" she continued. "Your forgiveness for his past actions are for you and you alone to decide. I just love my friend and this is coming from a place of love."
Trisha Paytas, who has been the most vocal about her support of Dawson, retweeted Taylor's note and said she did not condone any of Dawson's history of making jokes about pedophilia and race.
"But that was even before I became friends with him and I've NEVER heard this kind of stuff from him since," she said. "He's taken accountability for this and other poor taste comments."
She tweeted several more times, saying that Dawson is not "evil" or "a monster," and urged people to see the good in others.
"He has taken care of his family, friends, fans and even complete strangers," she said. "He's quietly helped change lives and no one will ever see that cause of his humility."
She said Dawson's channel has been demonetized and his name will be "forever associated with bad actions."
"He's apologized and offered no excuses. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT????" she said. "Again this is a human being. Only can take so much. Please think about this. It hurts my heart so much. And it worries me even more."
In several follow-up tweets and a video, Paytas criticized Tati Westbrook for getting involved. Last night Westbrook posted an explosive video where she claimed Dawson and Jeffree Star "gaslit" and manipulated her into filming her now-infamous takedown of James Charles last year as a publicity stunt for their upcoming makeup collaboration. Paytas said she was just trying to blame others for her own actions.
"Why now are you deciding to speak up?" she said. "Because it's cool to hate Shane and Jeffree? Why didn't you speak up about it in December?"
Eugenia Cooney, who filmed her return to YouTube with a video on Dawson's channel, also showed her support for him.
"I agree with everything you said so much!!" she said, sharing one of Paytas' tweets. "This kind of hate is too much for anyone to handle and I wish people would think about if it was them getting hated on and how they might feel. No one deserves to be treated like that."
She added that the past cannot be changed, "but it's what we do with the present and the future that defines who we are."
However, while these messages of solidarity received praise from Dawson's fans, there was a lot of criticism and backlash to them as well.
One person replied to Taylor's story, saying that buying gifts for strangers "doesn't make you a good person."
"Just because he was kind to you and others doesn't mean he hasn't been manipulative or toxic to somebody else," tweeted another. "People aren't just good and evil, we can behave differently depending on who we're surrounding ourselves with."
One person replied to Paytas' tweets saying Dawson was "reaping the consequences of his actions."
"Theres no reason to pity him," they said. "If he had made better choices, this wouldn't have happened. Do not fault those holding him accountable. The fault is his, and if he's struggling with that then he shouldn't have made those poor choices."
Read more:
Tati Westbrook claims Shane Dawson offered to edit her 2019 video that set off a YouTube beauty war