CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses allegations of grooming and child sexual abuse.
Trisha Paytas has broken her silence on the child grooming allegations against Colleen Ballinger, better known as her character Miranda Sings, and revealed she has severed ties with the YouTube creator over other allegations of body shaming and distributing pornography to minors.
“Everyone knows I have a very, very, very firm stance on talking to anyone under age, platonic or not,” Paytas said in a 21-minute YouTube video titled “colleen”.
“I have a lot of trauma when it comes to my relationships I had when I was underage.”
Paytas said she was “shocked” when she saw Ballinger’s widely criticised Ukulele video in which she denied the grooming allegations against her.
“Her video came out, and I was just shocked, to say the least, that she didn’t at least acknowledge the stuff that her own fans were saying, how they felt,” she said.
“I don’t stand behind Colleen whatsoever.
“Her video was not an apology and it took away from the severity of her actions of talking to minors, bringing minors on stage at her show. These people are speaking up and they’re uncomfortable for a reason.
“Acknowledge it, change it, do better.”
The YouTuber then addressed claims online by former Miranda Sings/Colleen Ballinger fan Johnny Silvestri who alleged she would record and share Paytas’ OnlyFans content in group chats to bully her and mock her body.
Adam McIntyre, the first person to accuse Colleen Ballinger of grooming, then alleged that she had sent him the same pornographic images when he was a minor — which is a felony in the US.
Silvestri shared screenshots of chats allegedly with Ballinger where he claimed she sent unsolicited pictures of Paytas’ OnlyFans nudes to him, apparently as part of a nasty joke. He also shared screenshots of a group chat where he claimed Ballinger and her fans allegedly held “viewing parties” to watch Paytas’ porn together.
“I do not condone, at all, unsolicited nudes— sending unsolicited nudes to anybody, sex worker or not,” Paytas said in her video.
“I think using someone’s nudes as a way to hurt them, make fun of them, make light of them, be mean, is the lowest form of human.”
Paytas said finding out about the images was “a lot”.
“It wasn’t just one occasion,” she accused.
“There were multiple times that she sent different photos and different positions of me.”
“Yes, I’m a sex worker,” Paytas continued.
“But a lot of those images and videos were behind a paywall. One that requires someone to be 18 and over.”
Paytas noted the screenshots of her OnlyFans content allegedly shared by Ballinger appeared to be from recent years, and said she didn’t know about them when she released a podcast with Ballinger in May.
“These weren’t a long time ago,” Paytas said.
“This is someone well into their 30s who just gave birth, sending nudes. And a month prior, I was in her house, meeting her newborn and doing a Mukbang with her.”
Paytas ended her video with a confirmation that she had severed her relationship with Ballinger and wanted nothing to do with her.
“I will never speak on Colleen again,” she said.
“She just does not exist to me anymore.”
Honestly, you know the YouTube community is in crisis when the voice of reason and maturity right now is Trisha Paytas. Pop off queen.
PEDESTRIAN.TV makes no comment about the correctness or otherwise of the allegations, only that they are being made publicly.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
