Current:Home > StocksMiranda Sings YouTuber Colleen Ballinger Breaks Silence on Grooming Allegations With Ukulele Song -WealthSync Hub
Miranda Sings YouTuber Colleen Ballinger Breaks Silence on Grooming Allegations With Ukulele Song
View
Date:2025-04-13 12:50:37
Colleen Ballinger is singing her side of the story.
The YouTuber, best known for her awkward alter ego Miranda Sings, refuted allegations of grooming and forming inappropriate relationships with underage fans in musical vlog on June 28. While strumming a ukulele, Ballinger likened the accusations to a "toxic gossip train" headed for "manipulation station" as the rest of the internet "tie me to the tracks and harass me for my past."
"Some people are saying things about me that just aren't true," she said in a sing-song voice. "Even though my team has strongly advised me not to say what I'm going to say, I realized they never said I couldn't sing about what I want to say."
Ballinger, 36, went on to explain how she used to message her fans "to be besties with everybody" earlier in her career, but "didn't understand that maybe there should be some boundaries there."
As a result, according to the Haters Back Off star, there were "times in the DMs when I would overshare details of my life—which was really weird of me—and I haven't done that in years because I changed my behavior and took accountability."
Earlier this month, Ballinger was accused of grooming her fans when YouTuber KodeeRants shared screenshots of an alleged text exchange between actress and her fans. Per NBC News, the unverified group text was named "Colleeny's Weenies," with Ballinger allegedly asking fans their "favorite position" during one conversation.
In her ukulele video, Ballinger addressed the recent online chatter over her past, singing, "I thought you wanted me to take accountability, but that's not the point of your mob mentality. Your goal is to ruin the life of the person you despise while you dramatize your lies and monetize their demise."
"I'm sure you're disappointed in my s--tty little song, I know you wanted me to say that I was 100 percent in the wrong," she continued. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not gonna take that route of admitting to lies and rumors that you made up for clout."
And while Ballinger confessed to making "jokes in poor taste" and "lots of dumb mistakes," she denied ever sending inappropriate messages to teenage fans with the intention of grooming them.
"I just wanted to say that thing I've ever groomed is my two Persian cats," Ballinger added. "I'm not a groomer. I'm just a loser who didn't understand I shouldn't respond to fans."
Allegations over Ballinger's behavior previously surfaced back in 2020, when fellow YouTube star Adam McIntyre accused her of putting him in uncomfortable situations between the ages of 13 and 16. In a video titled "colleen ballinger, stop lying," he specifically called out a past livestream where Ballinger sent him lingerie.
At the time, Ballinger responded to McIntyre and acknowledged that the underwear stunt was "completely stupid," saying in a separate apology video, "I should have never sent that."
"I don't know what part of my brain was missing at the time that I thought, 'Oh, this is a normal, silly thing to do,'" added Ballinger. "But I am not a monster."
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (9)
Related
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Katie Ledecky, Jim Thorpe among 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients by Joe Biden
- US Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas denies wrongdoing amid reports of pending indictment
- T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach Look Back at Their Exits From ABC Amid Rob Marciano’s Departure
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- New Hampshire moves to tighten rules on name changes for violent felons
- Former New York Giants tight end Aaron Thomas dies at 86
- 'Indiana is the new Hollywood:' Caitlin Clark draws a crowd. Fever teammates embrace it
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Reports: Odell Beckham Jr. to sign with Miami Dolphins, his fourth team in four years
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Madeleine McCann’s Parents Share They're Still in Disbelief 17 Years After Disappearance
- Fulton County officials say by law they don’t control Fani Willis’ spending in Trump case
- Whoopi Goldberg Reveals Who She Wants to Inherit Her $60 Million Fortune
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- New Hampshire jury finds state liable for abuse at youth detention center and awards victim $38M
- Person fatally shot by police after allegedly pointing weapon at others ID’d as 35-year-old man
- Court appearance for country star Morgan Wallen in chair-throwing case postponed until August
Recommendation
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
Reports: Odell Beckham Jr. to sign with Miami Dolphins, his fourth team in four years
Kate Hudson makes debut TV performance on 'Tonight Show,' explains foray into music: Watch
3-year-old toddler girls, twin sisters, drown in Phoenix, Arizona backyard pool: Police
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
How a Fight With Abby Lee Miller Ended Brooke and Paige Hyland's Dance Moms Careers
Lewis Hamilton shares goal of winning eighth F1 title with local kids at Miami Grand Prix
Ashley Graham’s 2-Year-Old Son Roman Gets Stitches on His Face