UPDATE: YouTuber and performer Colleen Ballinger, best known as the creator of Miranda Sings, is the target of new criticism over a years-old video in which she sings Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” while wearing the makeup that some observers perceived as a black face.
It’s unclear when the video was shot, but it was shared in February 2018 on her Miranda Sings YouTube channel (where it remains viewable but not listed). In the video, Ballinger — as a Miranda Sings character — has a kind of dark-colored greasepaint on her face as she performs Beyoncé’s hit.
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A snippet of the video was shared by social media influencer Paige Christie on Twitter on Wednesday, who wrote, “I’m gonna need someone to explain the black on her face…” Christie said it seemed that Ballinger had performed Beyoncé’s song at a show in London’s West End around summer 2010.
However, several Reddit commenters in the r/ColleenBallingerSnark subreddit have suggested that Ballinger actually wears green face paint after performing “Defying Gravity” as Elphaba, the protagonist of the musical “Wicked.” .
Variety contacted Ballinger and his representatives for comment, but did not receive a response.
The video overhaul comes after Ballinger last week publicly responded to accusations that she had inappropriate relationships with teenagers, denying that she had “groomed” fans who were children. In a June 28 video, she denied “lies” and “gossip” about her – partly in song, while backing herself on a ukulele.
“I’m sure you’re disappointed in my shitty little song / I know you wanted me to say I was 100% wrong / well I’m sorry I’m not going to take that route / admitting lies and rumors that you made up for weight,” Ballinger sang. At another point, she sang, “The only thing I ever groomed was my two Persian cats / I’m not a groomer, just a loser / who didn’t understand that i shouldn’t respond to fans / and i’m not a predator, even many of you think so / because five years ago i made a fart joke .
In 2020, Ballinger issued an apology for a separate video in which she posed as Latin women. “It’s not funny and it’s completely hurtful,” she said in the apology video. “I’m so ashamed and embarrassed that I never thought it was OK. I was a sheltered teenager who was dumb and ignorant and clearly extremely culturally insensitive…Racial stereotypes aren’t funny, they’re not no joke, and they should never be the subject of jokes.
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