The YouTuber to Bad Person Pipeline

Former beloved YouTubers have taken hits to their careers due to sexual assault allegations.

YouTuber Cody Ko pictured in 2019. Credit: mariagilless via Flickr

Since YouTube’s inception almost 20 years ago, we’ve witnessed the rise and fall of several  popular creators. 

The ones that come to mind initially are Shane Dawson, James Charles, David Dobrik and the list goes on.

Each one of these “canceled” YouTubers shares one common theme: they all fell from a place of immense popularity and not from a sustained, small community.

It’s 2024, and more and more wildly popular YouTubers seem to be hit with allegations, and it makes you wonder, is this an inevitability when it comes to being a YouTuber? Are all of them shady? It may very well be.

Cody Kolodziejzyk, known online as “Cody Ko,” has been YouTube’s golden boy for the past 10 years, pumping out content that primarily inhabits the commentary space, with the help of his friend, fellow YouTuber and business partner Noel Miller.

Throughout the years, not only has Ko’s channel grown exponentially, but so too has his reputation as a nice, respectable guy, often making fun of those who commit acts of sexual assault, abuse or any sort of predatory, creepy behavior online.

All of this fell apart in mid-June when popular YouTuber Tana Mongeau claimed that she and Ko slept together eight years ago when she was 17 and he was 25. That accusation sent the Internet into a frenzy, as everyone, especially Ko’s fanbase, was shocked and saddened by the news.

An accusation of sexual assault usually is what ends the careers of most YouTubers, and fast forward two months later, Ko is yet to make any sort of response on any one of his multiple channels.  

The only person within Ko’s circle who has come forward is Miller, who posted a brief video on their joint YouTube account “TMG,” which is not only their podcast channel, but a substantial podcast network and production company. 

Miller was very calculated when it came to his word choice, keeping things quick and vague. However, what he made clear is that he’s going to continue running the studio on his own, mainly due to Ko taking a step back from the company.

What Miller made evident in his video is that things can change in the blink of an eye, with no warning or plan in place to move forward. The people closest to someone who does something terrible are affected as well.

YouTubers can become victims of guilt by association, because when one person online is accused of something, information on someone who collaborates with them is brought to light, effectively bringing down two YouTubers.

Ava Kris Tyson, friend and former collaborator of MrBeast, the most subscribed YouTuber on the platform, was met with accusations of grooming when fellow YouTubers made videos exposing inappropriate messages she sent to a minor. This happened eight years ago, making Tyson 20 years old at the time and the person she was messaging 13.

In June, YouTuber Prism42 uploaded a video claiming that Tyson and the boy, who goes by @LavaGS, had a friendship. He went further by providing evidence of Tyson’s behavior, sharing screenshots on X of Tyson making inappropriate comments toward the minor.

This led to Tyson coming out with a statement, saying “I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone. It was not my intent. Seeing recent events we’ve mutually decided it’s best I permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health.”

These allegations then led to people not only expecting MrBeast to make a statement on the issue, but everyone ultimately looking into his past as well, and others coming forward about negative experiences they’ve had with him.

There’s a famous quote that applies not only to YouTubers, but to anyone who tastes any sort of success: that is, “it’s hard to get to the top; however, it’s even harder to stay there.” 

Being successful is eventually being complacent because success is comfortable — when you think you’re invincible, you’re probably going to make rash, ill-thought-out decisions.

Cody Ko, Ava Kris Tyson, Shane Dawson, James Charles — and any YouTuber who has ever made an awful decision — was always beloved before they did make that decision. Cody Ko’s reputation was spotless before all of this came to light, with fans idealizing his positive “frat-boy” aesthetic and disdain for the things that encompass that stereotype. One might ask: “Why do so many famous YouTubers turn out to be terrible people? What causes it?”

YouTube itself isn’t the primary factor for many being exposed as terrible. It’s like how people say that money doesn’t change you, it just makes you more of what you already are. YouTube doesn’t change people. The things that YouTube brings with it does — money, success, fame and attention. When you feel like a king, nothing can pull you down, right?

Time and time again, that’s proven to be wrong. Of course, there are good, respectable YouTubers, but often, it is the case that the most popular are the most deplorable.