Several popular creators have found themselves in trouble this week, from Anna Shumate to Dan & Nikki Phillippi, whereas people like Charli & Dixie D’Amelio and Tessa Brooks are delighting fans with new, but very different, projects.
It seems as though there’s never a truly quiet week on social media, with influencers constantly creating a buzz or causing controversy.
As usual, the past week has been a mixed bag as a whole, but which creators had a good week and which creators had a bad one?
Bad Week: YouTubers Dan & Nikki Phillippi under fire for putting their dog down
Family YouTubers Dan & Nikki Phillippi are not in the internet’s good graces after releasing a video announcing that they’d decided to put down their bull terrier, Bowser.
They came to this decision after the dog bit their young son, Logan, in the face, when the toddler had tried to take food from the animal. This incident, coupled with several other instances of aggressive behavior exhibited throughout their dog’s life, prompted them to lay their pet to rest — which appeared to be a difficult decision for the couple, as they’d had their terrier for quite some time.
However, it seems that the internet was not a fan of this particular outcome, with many commenters slamming the YouTubers in the comments of Nikki’s Instagram page.
Normal viewers weren’t the only one speaking out about the matter, though; YouTube stars Jacyln Hill and Jeffree Star also decried the Phillippi’s in a series of pointed Tweets.
“It’s hard to fathom how someone could kill their own family dog and make content out of it,” Star wrote. “They need to be investigated. As a dog owner whose animals are my LIFE, this is hard to wrap my head around.”
For now, it doesn’t look like the backlash surrounding this YouTube couple is dying down anytime soon — especially after some of YouTube’s biggest names drew attention to the subject.
Good Week: Tessa Brooks opens school in Bali for children in poverty
On May 3, TikTok star Tessa Brooks announced that she is opening a school in Bali named The Tessa Brooks Learning Center with Karmagawa and the Bali Children’s Project.
The project’s tagline is “escaping poverty through education,” with the aim being to help children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to education due to their family’s financial hardship.
On Instagram, Tessa explained that “this has been [her] dream forever,” adding: “I’m sad I can’t visit them yet but once it’s safe to do so I will be on the first plane. I can’t even begin to explain the joy I have in my heart rn.”
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The star shared footage of her watching a video of the children, along with various images that showed what the school looks like on the inside and outside.
Fans are of course fully on board with this new project, and have already been helping Tessa and the related organizations raise funds to build more schools and learning centers.
Bad Week: Anna Shumate called out for offensive jokes
Anna came under fire after a TikTok she made asking fans to comment ‘dark humor’ resurfaced. The comment section was filled with jokes that many called racist and anti-semitic, and screenshots showed that Anna had liked them.
Responding to the criticism in a TikTok, she said: “The ones that I liked and commented back to were very unacceptable and wrong in so many ways. And I’m here to say that I’m sorry to everyone that I have affected with that video and those comments.”
The Just a House member went on to make a nine-part series in which she discussed a range of issues relating to the jokes she supported in order to spread awareness.
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She also explained that while she would be taking a break from social media, her DMs would be open as a way to talk with people one-on-one.
Good Week: Charli & Dixie D’Amelio launch new clothing line
As two of TikToks biggest stars, Charli & Dixie D’Amelio have had a wealth of amazing opportunities as a result of their internet fame. From drinks, to makeup partnerships, even right down to mattresses, the pair have done it all.
In their latest announcement, the sisters revealed that as part of their ongoing partnership with Hollister, they would be releasing their own standalone apparel brand called ‘Social Tourist.’
Dixie explained: “We’ve always loved fashion, and it’s been amazing to be so involved in this process. We feel like Social Tourist really represents both of us and explores how our generation is balancing who they are on social media with real life.”
The first drop will be available from Hollister on May 20, and the girls have said they already have a second launch planned.
With plenty of influencers launching new projects and ventures in different aspects of their career, it looks like it will be a busy time for many over the coming weeks.
