Sorry…Again: When Influencer Apologies Become a Performance

The makeup is gone. The colorful background is gone. The once-bold style has now switched to comfy sweatshirts and sweatpants. The eyes appear full of sorrow. No music, editing, or elaborate introduction. Instead, an influencer sits alone and looks directly into the camera as they say, “I owe you guys an apology.” You probably already know exactly what this video looks like if you have spent some time on social media. However, these videos are supposed to be real, not entertainment. But can an apology ever completely escape that performance when influencers have built their careers around their image?

James Charles is one example. He became one of the biggest makeup and beauty influencers on YouTube, building his career around makeup and his relationship with his followers. However, with all this fame comes a very exposed personal life. Charles had multiple controversies followed by public apology videos. In 2019, his feud with Tati Westbrook regarding his promotion of a competing vitamin brand and accusations of his behavior concluded with an apology video that attracted millions of viewers. It became such a big deal that he lost millions of subscribers within a matter of days. Then, in 2021, Charles was accused of inappropriate conversations with minors and posted a 14-minute-long “Holding Myself Accountable” apology video regarding the allegations. And most recently, in May of 2026, Charles made a video calling a former Spirit Airlines employee “lazy” and “entitled” for asking for money after she lost her job. Again, an apology video was made and posted to viewers after receiving major backlash. Instead of the issues staying between the people involved, it became entertainment for millions of strangers watching at home.

With these controversies came great losses for Charles: partnership dissolved with Morphe, 2.5 million unsubscribed YouTube followers, and removal from the YouTube Partner Program. All of these negatively affected his revenue, which shows how much reputation and financial success are connected for influencers. So what is supposed to be an apology becomes a performance to save your career.

“Hi Sisters” is the iconic line created by James Charles that he uses to begin every one of his YouTube videos. He is always sporting a huge smile, an enthusiastic tone, good lighting, and a put-together makeup look. Influencers know the techniques of a good video, so they translate them into their apologies. You will often find an influencer’s apology video is drastically different from their typical content to emphasize importance. In Charles’ apology videos, he carries a sullen expression and tone while making direct eye contact with the camera to make viewers feel like he is personally speaking with them. His clean, bare face and simpler presentation help lead the viewer to think he truly is apologetic and that this is serious and real. Ironically, Charles hosted a YouTube competition, Instant Influencer, which made contestants create a convincing apology video for a scandal they never committed. If these apologies are practiced and calculated, how are viewers supposed to recognize the difference between good content or accountability and genuineness?

I am not saying that every influencer apology is fake. We are all human and make mistakes. However, it is the way that we address them and continue to behave after we make a mistake that is important. After each controversy and apology video, the words start to mean less, and the actions become more important. Taking accountability in a video does not mean anything unless the influencer takes the time to fix their mistakes afterward. However, the audience also plays a huge role in the acceptance of these apology videos. If millions of people are watching, liking, commenting, and sharing, they are giving it attention, and that video becomes another piece of content. In this case, James Charles may be the one in front of the camera, but ultimately we as viewers give the video meaning. So, the next time we see an apology and how an influencer has changed, we should start looking past the performance and focus on the actions that follow, because how many times can someone say “I’m sorry” before an apology stops being accountable and starts becoming content?