James Charles row: Tati Westbrook’s ‘heart is too heavy’ to return to YouTube after calling out former friend

Tati Westbrook’s ‘heart is too heavy’ to return to YouTube amid her row with fellow vlogger James Charles. 

The 37-year-old make-up artist told her Twitter followers that she will not be posting a new video this week, after she accused former friend Charles of “manipulating people’s sexuality” in a vlog shared on Saturday.

“There won’t be a video tomorrow,” she wrote. “My heart is still too heavy.”

Westbrook appeared to allude to the backlash against Charles, who has seen his follower count drop by over two million since her video was posted, as she urged her fans not to “grab on to hate”.

“I feel like I need to remind you that we can hold truth & inspire change without grabbing on to hate,” she added.

“Honour your blessings, don’t abuse then. Celebrating pain will only bring it to your door,” she concluded, before promising that she would “see [her followers] soon.”

In the much-discussed video, titled BYE SISTER, the YouTube star said that she no longer wants “to be associated” with Charles, having previously collaborated with the 19-year-old numerous times.

She said that she had been left embarrassed after Charles teamed up with a hair care brand selling products similar to her own, before detailing alleged “problematic behaviour”.

Westbrook said that the star had tried to “manipulate” men’s sexuality by attempting to “turn straight men gay”.

“You are using your fame, power and money to play with people’s emotions,” she said in the 43-minute video.

“You’re threatening to ruin them and embarrass them, and you’re doing that to have them behave sexually in your favour even if they’re straight?”

Charles responded with an apologetic video, in which he said sorry to Westbrook for “everything that I put you through.”

“What sucks the most is that I know there’s nothing I can say or do to ever earn that friendship or trust back, but I don’t blame [Westbrook and her husband] for it,” he said.

He denied the claims that he had pressured anyone into a romantic relationship.

The teen has an estimated net worth of $12 million (£9 million) and was announced as the first ever male spokesperson for US beauty brand CoverGirl in 2016.

He attended the Met Gala earlier this month, and was previously criticised by fans for claiming that his presence at the lavish fashion event was “a step forward in the right direction for influencer representation in the media”.