LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Youtuber Colleen Ballinger has denied allegations of "grooming" and engaging in inappropriate conversations with underage fans. The 36-year-old content creator addressed the accusations by posting a video to her YouTube channel Colleen Vlogs on June 28. In the video, she is seen playing her ukulele and expressing her frustration through a song, even claiming that viewers were unfairly targeting her and subjecting her to harassment regarding her past.
Furthermore, Ballinger asserted that false accusations were being made about her, acknowledging that her team had advised against speaking out. "I realized they never said I couldn't sing about what I want to say," she said before proceeding to express her thoughts on the situation by singing a song she had written.
Who is Colleen Ballinger?
Colleen Ballinger, also known by her online persona "Miranda Sings," is a YouTuber, actress, singer, and comedian. She primarily gained popularity by posting videos in the character of Miranda Sings, a satirical and comically untalented singer, on YouTube. Ballinger's videos often feature comedic skits, original songs, and occasional vlogs. She has a large following on social media and has expanded her career to include live performances, acting gigs, and collaborations with other YouTubers.
Ballinger recently faced allegations of grooming her minor fans after screenshots were shared by another YouTuber KodeeRants. The screenshots allegedly showed conversations in a group chat called "Colleen's Weenies," where Ballinger asked about their "favorite position" without any particular context. KodeeRants has since deleted both their YouTube and Twitter accounts. However, the allegations against Ballinger date back to 2020 when Adam McIntyre, another YouTube personality, posted a video and claimed to have shared an unhealthy friendship with her when he was 13.
'I'm not a groomer, just a loser'
In her "apology song," Ballinger admitted that she used to message her fans with the intention of being close friends with everyone. However, she acknowledged that she didn't fully grasp the importance of setting boundaries in those interactions. She made it clear that she had no intention of completely accepting the allegations, stating that she wasn't entirely at fault. She believed that doing so would mean succumbing to fabricated lies and rumors created for the sake of gaining attention.
The Youtuber also claimed that while were "times in the DMs when I would overshare details of my life which was really weird of me," she hasn't "done that in years" and has already taken "accountability" for her mistakes. "The only thing I've ever groomed is my two Persian cats. I'm not a groomer, just a loser, who didn't understand I shouldn't respond to fans, and I'm not a predator even though a lot of you think so, because five years ago I made a fart joke," she sang, responding to the allegations.