James Charles’ rise, fall and comeback: from becoming a millionaire YouTube make-up vlogger to grooming allegations, launching his own beauty brand, and previewing his single at Coachella
His life has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, but the 25-year-old is back with a new vegan beauty brand, while making his entry into the music world with 2 singles
Charles skyrocketed to fame in 2016 after going viral for adding a ring light and glossy highlighter to enhance his cheekbones on his yearbook photo, per The Cut. This catapulted him into the spotlight, securing him significant opportunities like becoming the first male face of CoverGirl, appearing on popular shows like Ellen and making him a millionaire.
Over the past few years, Charles has kept quiet and stayed out of the spotlight following a controversy in 2021, where he was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a 16-year-old fan, according to Insider.
But what’s James Charles’ been up to since the allegations?
What were the grooming allegations against James Charles?
Charles faced a wave of allegations after initial claims surfaced on TikTok, showing flirtatious conversations with male fans, some involving minors, as reported by Cosmopolitan. According to The Independent, at least 15 individuals accused Charles of misconduct.
In response, Charles posted a YouTube video titled “Holding Myself Accountable,” – which has since been deleted – where he admitted to mistakenly messaging two 16-year-olds under the impression they were 18, apologising for his behaviour. “I’ve never been more disgusted in my life than when I found out that that kid was 16 years old,” Charles shared with Cosmopolitan. “I was mortified, absolutely mortified.”
In 2023, he launched Painted
