The announcement comes after the beauty influencer was accused of grooming minors on social media
When we thought we’d reached peak beauty industry drama, make-up brand Morphe has announced that it’s parting ways with YouTuber James Charles after reports that he exchanged sexual messages with minors on social media.
“In light of the recent allegations against James Charles, Morphe and James have agreed to end our business relationship and wind down sales of the Morphe x James Charles product offering,” Morphe said in a statement on Twitter.
“It is and has always been Morphe's goal to create a positive, safe, and empowering space where all beauty lovers can freely share their artistry and passion for cosmetics, and Morphe is committed to furthering that goal,” it added.
The James Charles x Morphe collaboration included eyeshadow palettes and brush sets. At the time of writing, they are still available for purchase on the brand’s site.
Charles also shared a statement on Twitter about the news. He said that many of his business partners had received “considerable negative feedback” in light of the allegations against him, including Morphe.
“I’ve loved every moment working together, and am beyond grateful for what we've created together,” he said, adding they “mutually agreed” to part ways.
Back in March, 16-year-old TikTok star Isaiyah accused Charles of sending him sexually explicit messages and images on Snapchat.
Earlier this month, James posted a 14-minute video on YouTube, titled “Holding Myself Accountable”, where he addressed the controversies.
“First and foremost, I need to say sorry,” he told his 25 million followers. “I owe a massive apology to anybody I have hurt or anybody I made uncomfortable with my actions. I want to make it really, really clear that I fully understand my actions and how they are wrong. There are no excuses for them and I don’t plan on making any.”
— James Charles (@jamescharles) April 17, 2021
“Within the past couple of weeks, two different people, both under the age of 18, have recently come forward saying that they had inappropriate messages from me on social media. One of them being from last year and one of them being more recent,” he added.
According to James, once he learned both individuals were 16, he immediately blocked them and stopped all communication. “I need to take accountability for my actions and most importantly apologise to the people who were hurt by them,” he said.
“As an adult, it is my job and my responsibility to verify who I’m talking to and therefore there is nobody to blame for this other than myself. I’m sorry that I added you. I’m sorry that I flirted with you, and I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It is completely unacceptable,” he explained.
Back in 2019, a feud between James Charles, Tati Westbrook, and Jeffree Star took the YouTube world by storm in the now-infamous “Bye Sister” scandal. Among other things, Westbrook accused James of predatory behavior toward other men – a claim that later turned out to be fabricated.
This didn’t stop people from destroying their James Charles x Morphe palettes on social media, however, with some going as far as to burn the product and upload the videos onto TikTok.
Watch the video of Charles addressing the allegations below.