The aftermath of the YouTubers vs. TikTokers fight isn’t quite over yet, with the result of AnEsonGib and Tayler Holder’s fight being overturned, but multiple influencers have found themselves in hot water this week.
With Taylor Caniff getting called out over transphobic comments directed towards influencer Nikita Dragun, and David Dobrik receiving a new wave of backlash after returning to the internet following his break, it has been a tense week in the influencer space.
But with new business deals and the end of some controversy, some influencers haven’t had such a bad week.
Good Week: AnEsonGib has fight draw overturned
The highly anticipated YouTubers vs. TikTokers boxing event on June 12 made for surprisingly enjoyable viewing for many, with crazy KO moments and several controversies to boot, people had their eyes glued to the fights.
But one controversy proved to cause the most drama by a long mile, sparking outrage on social media.
YouTuber AnEsonGib and TikToker Tayler Holder stepped into the ring for their highly anticipated bout, but despite Gib getting in 47 punches over Tayler’s 21, their fight was declared a draw.
There was an immediate Twitter storm, with thousands of people claiming Gib was “robbed,” and demanding the verdict be changed.
In response to the outrage, on June 14 ISKA Director Tom Sconzo announced that they would be declaring the fight a win in Gib’s favor. He explained that there was “no excuse” for the mistake apart from “plain, simple human error,” and added he was “embarrassed by this mistake, not catching it, and correcting it ringside.”
Fans and Gib himself immediately celebrated on social media over the late win for team YouTube.
Bad Week: Taylor Caniff called out for transphobic comments about Nikita Dragun
Influencer Taylor Caniff has been met with a tsunami of backlash after a video surfaced, showing him making transphobic remarks about YouTube star Nikita Dragun.
The video quickly went viral on social media, prompting Caniff to, at first, create a sarcastic response to the scandal.
However, Caniff later claimed that the remarks were merely a “joke” he’d meant to share with some 140 people — but one of his “clout-ridden friends” was responsible for leaking the clips. He also claimed to have reached out to Nikita to apologize.
Nikita quickly addressed Caniff’s comments in a pointed tweet thread, reminding everyone of the constant danger she faces as a trans woman in her day-to-day life.
Caniff shot back at Nikita by accusing her of “changing to trending seasons” and threatened to “leak some real s**t.”
That’s not all; amidst the drama, a video of Tana Mongeau surfaced from three years prior, where the influencer claimed that Caniff was transphobic, sparking further outrage against him.
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Good Week: Alex Cooper signs deal with Spotify for ‘Call Her Daddy’
The formally Barstool distributed ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast became a rapid success after it was initially launched in 2018. Despite some drama involving one of the hosts departing the show, it continued to be hugely successful with just Alex Cooper as the host.
On June 15, Alex announced that she has signed an exclusive deal with Spotify for a whopping $60 million dollars for the hugely popular podcast.
That means that from July 21, episodes of the show will only be available on Spotify.
Speaking about the deal, Alex said: “I’m incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported, helped and been a part of Call Her Daddy. From its start three years ago, the show has always been about challenging the status-quo and manifesting conversations that previously only happened behind closed doors.”
“I can’t wait for this next chapter with Spotify, where I will continue raising the bar with great content and guests for the Daddy Gang,” she added.
The big money deal has fans excited to see what is coming up next for the show.
Bad Week: Mixed responses after David Dobrik returns to YouTube
YouTube star David Dobrik has made his grand return to vlogging after taking months off from content creation following several controversies about him.
While Dobrik was once one of YouTube’s most prominent vloggers, in 2021, the influencer was met with a slew of scandals from former vlog squad members. Several individuals accused Dobrik of throwing them into uncomfortable situations for videos and even causing them bodily harm with outrageous stunts.
As a result, Dobrik lost countless followers and a few major brand deals, even stepping down from his once-viral Dispo camera app.
On June 15, after teasing a tropical holiday with his friends, Dobrik returned to YouTube in one of his signature, chaotic vlogs, bringing happiness to his fans — and outrage from his critics.
YouTuber Tana Mongeau even deleted a TikTok she’d made with David after responding to comments criticizing her for reuniting with the star. She claimed “he had bad people around him & cut them off & apologized and took full accountability,” but commenters did not agree.
Dobrik will be uploading vlogs every Tuesday, but right now, it’s unclear if the internet is willing to let him back in their good graces.
With the big Battle of the Platforms event now truly over after Gib was given the win, it already looks like a second one could be in the works, which could mean plenty of social media callouts from some influencer boxing hopefuls over the next few weeks.