YouTuber Shane Dawson Issues Apology After Disturbing Leaked Video

Gettyimages | John Lamparski

Shane Dawson, a long-time YouTuber known for creating controversial content in the past, is apologizing for some of his content. Resurfaced videos show Dawson making racist jokes and donning blackface. Dawson has also been accused of being tone deaf.

Most recently, a leaked video features Dawson making jokes involving pedophilia. Dawson and ex-girlfriend Lisa Schwartz are featured in one video making sexual jokes and comments about his 12-year-old cousin.

Now, Dawson has issued an apology for past behavior, including the leaked video.

In the apology video, Dawson says, “If you’ve been watching me for a while, then you know that I have done a lot of things in my past that I hate – that I wish I could make go away.” He claims that he used to delete videos and tags on Instagram to “pretend like those things didn’t happen.”

Dawson acknowledges that he has apologized for many of his previous videos already but that “those apologies suck” because they stemmed from “fear.”

Gettyimages | Vivien Killilea

The apology continued, with Dawson saying, “This video is coming from a place of just wanting to own up to my shit.” He described instances in which he was wrong, including past racism in videos and comments. He also addresses the video that included his cousin.

About that controversial video, Dawson said, “That is disgusting. That is gross. . . . It is something I did for shock value, or because I thought it was funny. . .” He claims to regret making these types of videos.

Gettyimages | Laura Cavanaugh

Dawson claims that he apologized to his aunt about the comments made about his cousin years ago. He said that she accepted his apology because she knew that the comments were made in jest. Still, Dawson acknowledges that he was “thoughtless” when he posted the video.

The apology video comes in the wake of other YouTubers, including Jenna Marbles, apologizing for her racist videos, including one in which she impersonated Nicki Minaj. In his video, Dawson recognized his own use of blackface.

Gettyimages | Gabriel Olsen

Dawson’s YouTube career began in 2008, and this videos have included a variety of comedy sketches, song parodies, music videos, and documentaries. In recent years, Dawson made videos about Jake Paul and Jeffree Star. Jeffree Star, a makeup influencer has also been accused of racism.

Dawson says that “blackface was something that [he] did a lot.” He apologized for adding to the “normalization of blackface” and the “normalization of saying the n-word.” He ends the video on a positive note, saying, “I promise I’m going to do better to educate myself and put more people on my channel that aren’t just white YouTubers in trouble.”