Influencer James Charles issues apology after backlash over viral video mocking laid-off Spirit Airlines worker

James Charles is walking back his explosive tirade against a former Spirit Airlines worker who asked him for help after losing her job.

The beauty influencer, 26, sparked backlash after he posted an expletive-filled rant about a woman who sent him a GoFundMe link in a message asking for support after she said she was laid off in Spirit’s sudden shutdown last weekend, which cost over 17,000 people their jobs.

In the original video, which has since been deleted, Charles said: “I just got a DM on here from a girl that said, ‘Good morning, James. I know you’ll probably never see this, but if you could just take one minute to read it would really mean a lot to me. I’m really struggling right now because Spirit Airlines just filed for bankruptcy and I have lost my job. Here’s a GoFundMe link. Any donations help.’”

While laughing, he responded: “I’m sure they do, sweetheart. I’m sure they do. You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Yeah, try that.”

He continued: “Because in the time that it took you to copy and paste the same f*** ass message to myself — who you don’t follow, by the way — and probably a hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could’ve applied for a hundred other jobs. But you didn’t, ’cause you’re a lazy piece of s***, and you’re entitled, and you think that influencers and celebrities should fund your life for you. Why would I ever help you?”

The video quickly raised eyebrows online, with social media users criticizing Charles as “entitled,” as one wrote on X: “‘Welcome to the real world’ yet he doesn’t even exist in that world as an influencer. He is so beyond out of touch and is acting like he understands the struggle.”

Charles deleted the clip and went on to issue a shirtless apology Saturday on TikTok, where he called his video “stupid” and “unnecessary.”

“It was rude, it was obnoxious, it was privileged, and most importantly, it was completely f***ing unnecessary,” Charles said. He went on to acknowledge that he could have ignored the message, but instead made a mistake in bashing the jobless woman.

“It was obnoxious, and I shamed her for asking for help in a situation where she was clearly struggling, and this could have been her absolute last resort,” Charles said. “I feel awful because that wasn’t my intention. And I really hurt a lot of people.”

He added: “I’m super sorry, especially to the woman from Spirit Airlines.”