In summer 2020, popular YouTuber Shane Dawson was met with an onslaught of backlash and criticism after clips from his older videos and podcasts surfaced online.
Much of this content was criticized for being racist in nature and inappropriate. Even the likes of Jada Pinkett Smith called out Dawson for a comment he’d made about her daughter, Willow Smith, sparking further outrage against him.
Dawson also acknowledged that some of his jokes were not appropriate, saying, “Yeah, there was bad stuff in those videos, but like the good stuff connected with people and I can’t just throw that away, that’s weird.”
The vlogger added that he understands why people may be upset, but he wants to move forward. “I’m not going to run from my past, but I’m also not going to stay in it,” he shared. “I feel like it would be unhealthy for me to just constantly think about it.”