Colleen Ballinger returns to the internet months after viral ukulele video

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Colleen Ballinger returns to the internet months after viral ukulele video

 Colleen Ballinger returns to the internet months after viral ukulele video

In a video blog post Saturday, the YouTuber apologizes for her "toxic gossip train" video and addresses long-standing allegations about behaving inappropriately with underage fans.
Image: Colleen Ballinger
Colleen Ballinger arrives at the E! People's Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2019.Todd Williamson / E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Nearly five months after her widely criticized ukulele apology went viral, YouTuber Colleen Ballinger has ventured back into the public eye — to mixed reactions.

Following escalating allegations that she engaged in inappropriate interactions with underage fans, Ballinger, 36, had uploaded a video to her video blog channel in June titled, “hi.” In it, she strummed a ukulele while addressing the backlash through a 10-minute song about “the toxic gossip train.”

The video became one of the most heavily condemned and ridiculed apologies on the internet, with many calling Ballinger out for appearing to make a mockery of serious allegations.

“I just wanted to say that the only thing I’ve ever groomed is my two Persian cats,” Ballinger sang. “I’m not a groomer. I’m just a loser who didn’t understand I shouldn’t respond to fans.”

Then, she disappeared from the internet until Saturday, when she dropped a video titled, “fall vlog,” in which she spends the first several minutes apologizing for her past behavior before transitioning into a vlog of her day.

“Obviously, the last video that I posted on here is really embarrassing, to say the least,” Ballinger said in the video. “I was being accused of some pretty awful things and I just was mad and I should have handled that situation with maturity and empathy, but instead I just let my ego take over and I’m really disappointed in myself.”

She went on to say that she feels “terrible” about having caused hurt at times when she “did not put enough thought” into her interactions with fans. She also apologized to those disappointed by her silence over the last few months, saying she needed time to listen and learn in order to “create a positive, kind, inclusive, safe space online” moving forward.

“I do not expect anyone to welcome me back with open arms,” she said. “I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind with this video. I just wanted to come on here and say that I’m sorry.”

Ballinger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The YouTuber had risen to fame for her satirical alter ego Miranda Sings, a silly character with a bizarre singing style and lack of self-awareness. Since creating the character in 2008, she has amassed a following of more than 22 million subscribers across three YouTube channels. She also had a Netflix show that ran for two seasons, as well as a comedy special on the platform.

Allegations about Ballinger’s behavior had surfaced as early as 2020, when YouTuber Adam McIntyre made a video claiming she formed an inappropriate friendship with him when he was 13 to 16 years old and sent him lingerie as a joke. At the time, Ballinger responded to some of McIntyre’s allegations in a video titled, “addressing everything.”

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