YouTuber James Charles faces backlash after ‘insensitive’ fake pregnancy photoshoot

Beauty YouTuber James Charles has once again been at the centre of controversy after shooting fake pregnancy photos that appear to resemble the pregnancy announcement made by singer Halsey.

The 21-year-old posted the image to promote a new YouTube video, titled “24 Hours Being PREGNANT!!”, that he says was inspired by a friend who is pregnant.

According to Charles, Laura Mellado proposed the idea to see how he coped with being ‘pregnant’ for 24 hours. The YouTube video includes challenges such as wearing a fake bump and experiencing fake contractions.

In the video, he says: "This video is not being made in any way, shape, or form to make fun of, to make light of pregnancies and the sensitivities and the complications that come around it."

However, fans have reacted strongly against the photoshoot, which appears to mimic Halsey’s recent pregnancy announcement.

In the video, a member of the YouTuber’s team behind the camera can be heard saying “very Halsey”. The photoshoot has been criticised as Halsey experienced a miscarriage while performing and suffers from endometriosis.

Someone on Twitter asked people to “please watch your words” as they felt it was inappropriate to compare it with Halsey’s genuine pregnancy reveal.

Others found the whole thing a little distasteful.

This is the latest in the long line of controversies caused by the beauty YouTuber, who has more than 25 million subscribers on YouTube.

He famously found himself at the centre of a 2019 scandal when fellow YouTuber and former friend Tati Westbrook posted a video entitled “Bye Sister” in which she accused him of predatory behaviour. Westbrook and Charles have since reconciled and she has rolled back many of the allegations made in the video.

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