James Charles is under fire after a now-deleted TikTok rant targeting a woman who allegedly reached out asking for financial help following the collapse of Spirit Airlines. The budget airline reportedly shut down operations last week, leaving roughly 17,000 employees without jobs. According to Charles, one former employee sent him a direct message that included a GoFundMe link and a request for donations after losing her position. Instead of quietly ignoring the message, the beauty influencer recorded a profanity-filled response mocking the woman and questioning why she was asking celebrities for help.
In the now-circulating clip, Charles sarcastically read the woman’s message aloud before launching into an aggressive rant. “I’m sure they do, sweetheart. I’m sure they do,” he said after reading that “any donations help.” “You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Yeah, try that,” Charles said.
Charles continued by accusing the woman of mass messaging influencers instead of applying for employment opportunities. “But you didn’t, ‘cause you’re a lazy piece of sh-t, and you’re entitled,” he said.
The influencer also appeared particularly upset that the woman allegedly did not follow him on social media. “You’re not a fan, you don’t even follow me,” Charles said. “And you think that I’m gonna send you money because you lost your job?!”
The video quickly spread across social media through screen recordings after it was deleted, sparking intense backlash online. Critics slammed Charles as “privileged,” “out of touch,” and “elitist,” especially given reports that the influencer has amassed a fortune worth millions.
“Just couldn’t help showing those true colors,” one user responded after someone else asked why he would post such a thing. “This is so wild lol why is he so pressed?? Ignore and move on!!!” another said.
A third chimed in, “Holy sh-t he is cruel af, I only watched 30 seconds but omg.” As someone else expressed, “Yeah, he has never applied for a job in his life if he thinks it takes 30 seconds.”
James Charles Later Issued Public Apology
Following the backlash, Charles returned to TikTok with a second video apologizing for his behavior and admitting the rant was inappropriate. “This video was f-cking stupid,” he said. “It was rude, it was obnoxious, it was privileged, and most importantly, it was completely f-cking unnecessary.”
Charles acknowledged that he could have simply ignored the message instead of publicly humiliating the woman online. “It was obnoxious, and I shamed her for asking for help in a situation where she was clearly really struggling,” he admitted. “This could have been her absolute last resort.”
The influencer also directly apologized to the woman involved and admitted the situation hurt many people who watched the clip circulate online. “I feel awful because that wasn’t my intention,” Charles said. “I’m super sorry, especially to the woman from Spirit Airlines.”
Spirit Airlines Shut Down Operations After Failed Financial Rescue Efforts
The controversy surrounding Charles’ comments comes just days after Spirit Airlines officially announced it was shutting down operations entirely. On May 2, the airline confirmed it would cancel all flights and cease operations “effective immediately” following failed restructuring efforts and ongoing financial struggles.
According to the company, rising fuel costs and an inability to secure additional funding ultimately pushed the airline past the point of recovery. “For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a pioneering role in making travel more accessible and bringing people together while driving affordability across the industry,” Spirit President and CEO Dave Davis said in a statement.
“Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure,” Davis added. “This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted.”
Spirit Airlines Customers Scramble For Refunds After Sudden Shutdown
The company stated that customers who booked flights directly through Spirit using credit or debit cards would automatically receive refunds, though some transactions may take additional time to process. Meanwhile, travelers who purchased tickets through third-party services or travel agencies were instructed to contact those providers directly for reimbursement.
Spirit also confirmed that customers holding vouchers, loyalty points, or travel credits would need to file claims through the airline’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.