Jenna Marbles Quits YouTube: Celebs React on Social Media

Fans were shocked when longtime YouTuber Jenna Marbles (real name: Jenna Mourey) decided to quit her channel in an effort to further take accountability for past controversial videos — but no one was more surprised than her fellow vloggers and celebrities. Since her announcement, several have come out to show their support for both her and for her decision, including big names like PewDiePie and Hank Green.

Jenna, 33, broke the news on Thursday, June 25, that she was “moving on from her channel” after confronting her history with offensive language and visuals. Though she assured fans she’s grown in the years since she made videos in which she fueled gender stereotypes, mocked Asian languages and appeared to wear blackface as part of a Nicki Minaj impression, she wasn’t comfortable with the legacy her YouTube channel left behind. After setting several videos to private, she decided it might be time to step away entirely.

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“I’m sorry if any of [my old content] holds any nostalgia for you, but I’m literally not trying to put out negative things into the world,” she told her audience. “I think there was a time when having all of my old content exist on the internet showed how much I have grown up as a person, which I’m very proud of. I think now it’s hard for that content to exist at all because I think people watch it and don’t bother to look at when it was posted or care about what path I took to get to where I am. It offends them now, and, if that’s the case, where people will watch something and be offended now, I don’t want it to exist. … I don’t want someone to watch something and feel hurt or offended now for any reason at all.”

Many fans, celebrities and fellow YouTubers have expressed their appreciation for the heartfelt apology, both in the comments on Jenna’s video and on other social media platforms. However, some are divided about whether or not they agreed with her decision to leave YouTube. While some praised the vlogger for taking accountability for past harm, others called out cancel culture and claimed it’s gone too far. Check out the gallery below to see what other stars and vloggers had to say about Jenna Marbles’ video.

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Chika

Rapper Chika (real name: Jane Chika Oranika) understood why Jenna wanted to leave — but she’s hopeful the vlogger will change her mind. “I really hope Jenna Marbles comes back. When she’s ready, of course. But in a world where people pretend to give a f–k in order to gain profit, she’s never made an apology to save face or protect business. She’s always meant it. Every single time. And that’s indisputable,” she wrote. “Accountability is important and I, in my several years of supporting her, have never ONCE seen her apologize and revert back to past behavior. Accountability isn’t simply addressing s–t so everyone is at peace, it’s becoming better based on correction. She’s done that.”

Queen E

Twitch streamer Queen E (real name: Emily Krumlinde) was also sad to see Jenna go. “To me, she’s been the pinnacle of a learning and growing, emphatic human being. It’s big to acknowledge and apologise for past wrongdoings and even bigger to actually act on it and do better and improve yourself,” she wrote. “Humans are never perfect, and, if more people were like Jenna and were able to recognize, apologize, learn and actually do better over time, isn’t that what we all strive to do? To always try and do better? Either way, thank you, @Jenna_Marbles, for all your wonderful moments of your wacky brain you’ve shared with us all. I really hope you feel you can come back, but, if not, that’s understandable, too. You don’t know me, but I love you and I’m so proud of your growth as a person.”

Sky Williams

YouTuber Sky Williams felt broken up over the announcement. “We need to CELEBRATE REFORM AND CHANGE instead of condemning the past. She has proven she’s grown. She’s been in ZERO drama. Donates time and money to animal shelters — she’s [shown] her growth in her work and life. FREE HER,” he wrote. “Jenna is a massive part of creation on youtube — [n-word], I GREW UP on her and I’m A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT [PERSON]. … Bottom line — Jenna is in a different TIER when it comes to being a model creator. If SHE’S not safe from s–t like this, then we ALL ARE GOING DOWN WHEN THE NEXT GENERATION CATCHES UP. BET.”

Hank Green

Author Hank Green, one half of the Vlogbrothers, took a moment to praise the YouTuber. “I really strongly believe that we should be judged not by how we acted when we were ignorant, but how we responded when we were informed. By that measure, Jenna Marbles is head and shoulders beyond a great many YouTubers,” he wrote. “I think it’s vitally important that we tell creators when they are doing harm. And I have watched some creators react to that by listening and changing, while others have cried a bit in an apology video and then gone right back to making s–tty stuff that hurts people. Jenna has always been in the first group, and I’ve always really admired that. She found ways to stay true to her comedy and her community while taking out the parts of what she did that caused harm, and she stayed funny the whole f–king time. I am very grateful for her example.”

LaurDIY

YouTuber LaurDIY (real name: Lauren Riihimaki) was also upset. “Watching Jenna Marbles’ video shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. There’s a difference between holding creators responsible for certain standards and expectations of honesty and incessantly BULLYING someone who embraces growth and accountability,” she wrote. “Like, you’re seriously going to tear someone down who makes videos of their dog eating gently? Invest that policing energy into something productive like #BLM or creators who are truly being destructive to others.”

Ricky Dillon

YouTuber and musician Ricky Dillon wanted to send some love Jenna’s way. “You have positively impacted me more than you’ll ever know, @Jenna_Marbles,” he wrote. “When I’ve been at my lowest of lows, I consistently went to your channel or podcast with [Julien Solomita] to feel better. You have a genuine heart of gold, and I have so much respect for you.”

Mister Preda

Lifestyle vlogger Mister Preda (real name: Daniel Preda) wished her the best. “My sweet sis @Jenna_Marbles has always been such a light, a kind soul and an inspiration to so many,” he wrote. “I hope this new chapter in her life leads her to true happiness. Jenna has more effortless charisma than 99 percent of creators. Shame on those who continue to play into cancel culture. We are all flawed as human beings. We fall, make mistakes, we learn, we grow. Those who continually show their true colors of manipulation, racism, sexism, transphobia and tasteless behavior etc. are the ones who need to take the fall. I’m disgusted.”

PewDiePie

Gamer PewDiePie (real name: Felix Kjellberg) was upset by the news. “Jenna Marbles was one of the most genuinely good people on this platform, and now she gets bullied off the site by mistakes that happened 8-10 years ago,” he wrote. “Who cares? These actions reflect in no way who she is and the content she makes today. Anyone who watches her can see that. Some things were more [lenient] a few years ago — [and] that’s not to say it was right, but where the line is drawn from the past and today seems non-existent. I thought the point was to learn from your mistakes and do better? We all have problems in our past. No one in the world is perfect. This site will be filled with nothing but douchetubers who don’t care while the people who do [get] pushed out. So disappointed with the internet and how far things have gotten.”