The entire Wilbur Soot and Shelby Shubble controversy explained

The recent allegations made by American YouTuber Shelby Shubble, also known as Shelby Graces, against fellow creator and her ex-partner, Wilbur Soot, have left netizens divided. Wilbur is well known for being a Minecraft YouTuber and part of the Dream SMP, along with other prominent creators such as GeorgeNotFound TommyInnit.

Despite her not directly taking his name in the original allegations, Shelby accused the latter of "living in filth" and physically abusing her, including him allegedly biting her non-consensually and to an extent that caused her pain. This adds to other preexisting accusations of the streamer's habit of biting and maintaining poor hygiene around his house.

Here is a breakdown of the drama that has occurred between the two so far.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of physical abuse.

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Complete timeline of the Wilbur Soot and Shelby Shubble drama

The drama began on February 21, 2024, as Shelby Shubble hosted a stream titled talking about something more serious, wherein she detailed her experience while dating an anonymous British former partner. She explained that she did not initially bring up the conversation, as keeping the matter private gave her peace. However, she eventually decided to talk about it to make people aware of the "signs" of "dangerous" relationships.

In the live stream, she stated that the unnamed partner, who many assumed to be Wilbur Soot, had started biting her - initially as a sign of affection but later escalating to a point where she was allegedly "covered in bruises" all over her arms. Further, as per Shelby, he would poke at them despite them hurting "for fun" and would "show them off."

The pair had also started using a "safe word" for Shelby to use when Wilbur Soot's biting tendencies escalated beyond a limit. However, she stated that during the last few months of the relationship, it had become commonplace for her to use the safe word, to the point that she had to use it each time.

In a clip from the stream, she can be heard describing her experience:

"His biting escalated to a point where I was covered in bruises all over my arms. And they hurt, and he would poke at them for fun. And he even felt so comfortable showing off my bruises that he had caused to our friends because he would bite me so hard by accident. 'By accident'."

She also stated that the unnamed person was aware of how the bruises on her arms made it look like she was being "abused," and hence, he shifted to biting her legs instead:

"He would even joke that it looked like he abused me. Um, and eventually he did acknowledge how bad it looked that I was covered in bruises all the time. So, he stopped biting my arms as often and he started biting my legs instead. Um, and it was in the last couple of months in the relationship that, every time he bit me, it was until I needed to use the safe word. Um, it had become his benchmark for when to stop."

@awcusse, a user on X, provided further context in a series of posts starting on February 22, 2024, which backed up the claim that the alleged perpetrator of the abuse was Wilbur Soot himself. This included the supposed biting habits of Wilbur as well as the unkempt nature of his living conditions, perfectly matching the description given by Shelby:

After the allegations spread like wildfire across the online streaming community, Wilbur Soot personally responded to them, issuing an apology and confirming that the unnamed perpetrator was him. The apology came as a post on X, made on February 27, 2024.

Providing his "sincerest apologies," Wilbur Soot stated that within the final months of his relationship with Shelby, he had become "slobbish, disrespectful, and selfish." He further acknowledged the pain he caused to his ex-girlfriend. He mentioned that he had sought therapy in an effort to "address these behaviors" and make "significant lifestyle changes" aimed at rectifying his actions.

Be that as it may, Wilbur Soot stated that his biting habits with Shelby were "consensual, playful, and reciprocally enjoyed" and that he has not published the private conversations between the two "out of respect for her."

That said, fans were dissatisfied with the streamer's response to the allegations, with many believing it was his responsibility to stop when asked and not continue further. Many also pointed out that the apology seemed more about him than his "victim":

Fans react to Wilbur's apology (Image via WilburSoot/X)

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Dream responds to the controversy

As one of the most prominent figures in the Minecraft community and a former collaborator with Wilbur Soot, Clay had a no-nonsense stance on the matter, which he posted on X. He stated that Wilbur was being "dishonest" with himself, or with others or both. He further called his actions "severely disappointing":

"She said she withdrew consent using a safe word, and that you frequently would intentionally bite down harder afterwards to the point that she would scream. Even isolated from everything else, that is clearly abuse... (Talking about Shelby) Your story you told will help so many young people see signs of toxicity and abuse, before it's too late for them. Thank you for being brave."

Further, he sympathized with Shelby, lauded her for her bravery in coming out, and appreciated her "standing up for what is right and speaking against those that do wrong."