James Charles faces backlash after calling laid-off Spirit Airlines worker 'lazy'

Beauty influencer James Charles is facing criticism after a deleted video appeared to show him responding harshly to a laid-off Spirit Airlines worker who sent him a GoFundMe link requesting financial assistance.

According to reports shared widely across TikTok and Reddit, the clip was originally uploaded to Charles’ secondary TikTok account before being removed.

In the video, Charles allegedly read a direct message from a woman who claimed she had lost her job, filed for bankruptcy and was seeking help through crowdfunding.

Users who reposted the footage said the woman had shared her GoFundMe page in the hope that Charles might contribute financially. During the video, Charles reportedly questioned why she had approached him for money and suggested she should instead search for employment.

He allegedly described the woman as a “lazy piece of shit” and “entitled”, while also saying: “Send you money cause you lost your job?! Oh my God, welcome to the real world!”

Charles reportedly continued by discussing wider employment conditions in the United States, mentioning the number of Spirit Airlines workers affected by restructuring and job losses. At one point in the video, he is alleged to have said, “I’m not helping you—all you did was lost your job, okay? Welcome to the real world.”

The comments quickly drew backlash online, with many social media users accusing the influencer of lacking empathy during a period of economic uncertainty and large-scale layoffs. 

Several viewers argued that Charles could simply have ignored the message rather than publicly responding to it. Others defended him, stating that influencers frequently receive requests for money from strangers and may become frustrated by repeated appeals.