'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American beauty influencer, actor, and makeup artist James Charles has been facing backlash since the beginning of May 2025 for reportedly being in a romantic relationship with fellow content creator Evan Johnson, despite the alleged domestic assault allegations against the latter.
Not only that, Charles, 25, has been accused of betraying his close friend and fellow influencer, Kayla Malec, Johnson’s girlfriend, who brought the domestic abuse charges against Evan last month. On May 7, 2025, Kayla announced on TikTok that she “won” her case against Evan and he was “arrested” in front of her.
Amidst this controversy, James seemingly lost over a million among his 40 million followers on TikTok, as per SocialBlade. He has issued a statement in response to all the ongoing accusations against him surrounding Evan Johnson and Kayla Malec.
Trending
In a TikTok video uploaded on May 7, 2025, James Charles stated he does not support Evan Johnson in “any way, shape, or form” and showed his solidarity for Kayla Malec, adding he hopes and prays that she “gets justice” when the case goes to the court.
Later, Charles hit back at his former best friend Zach Sellers for claiming on the Bee Better podcast earlier this month that he saw flirty texts, explicit images, and video exchanges between James and Evan.
“He [Zach] claims to have seen evidence on Evan’s phone of him having s*x with me. Zach, post it. If you have the receipt, if you have the video evidence, you can upload it. You have my full consent and permission,” Charles noted.
He added:
“I have far worse things posted about me online that I didn’t consent to, so go right ahead. But you can’t because there’s no video of something that never happened.”
James Charles also refuted the rumor that he ever had a s*xual relationship with Evan Johnson.
Exploring further James Charles’ clarification amid Evan Johnson and Kayla Malec drama
On Wednesday, Kayla Malec uploaded a TikTok video from outside the courthouse in Sumner County, Tennessee, and claimed to have won her domestic violence hearing against her ex-boyfriend, Evan Johnson.
She mentioned Evan was taken into custody and added, “justice was served.” Kayla shared being “really happy” with the outcome. In the wake of her video, James Charles, accused of seemingly betraying her by allegedly sleeping with Evan, issued a lengthy response in a 10-minute video on TikTok.
“I do not support Evan Johnson… and let me make that f**king clear. I don’t support him, I don’t support violence against women, and I sure as hell do not support the disgusting, deplorable, violent, heinous acts that he committed against Kayla Malec behind closed doors,” he began.
Charles stated that he wished Kayla would get the justice she deserved for what “that man put her through,” adding that people were less interested in her fight against domestic abuse and more about his alleged involvement.
James went on, “This is not TikTok tea and drama for everyone else’s entertainment, this is some real people dealing with some really serious sh*t… It’s distracting from the actual issue at hand, which is domestic violence.”
He added that the “conversation has completely shifted focus away from Kayla Malec and how she was brave enough to speak out against what she went through” to him and his alleged “downfall,” and demand of an “apology video.”
James Charles then explained that he hadn’t spoken out before about the rumors and allegations against him, as he knew any comments he had made might have negatively impacted Kayla Malec’s case.
Meanwhile, he admitted having an OnlyFans account but claimed that it didn’t fund his entire life as he barely used it. James Charles also told his viewers that he was prepared to share his transaction history publicly as he had nothing to hide and never sent “one single dollar” to Evan Johnson, unlike Zach Seller’s claims on the Bee Better podcast.
“Zach claims to know all this information to be true because he pressured Evan into getting drunk and telling him what happened on the trip. I don’t know if Evan lied to him to make the trip seem more fun and exciting, or Zach literally just made this up for a fun chase,” Charles stated.
“I would like to believe that this isn’t the case and that he was manipulated into this situation as well… There is no proof, no evidence of any of the ridiculous claims that Zack is making because they did not happen, which is why I have no choice other than to take legal action,” James noted.
Notably, Sellers went on the podcast’s “Investigating James Charles” episode and claimed that Evan Johnson and the Instant Influencer star had an affair after the former broke up with Malec. Zach even alleged seeing “shirtless” images of James on Evan’s phone, where the former was reportedly trying to “look pretty” and referred to Johnson as “daddy.”
Zach Sellers also alleged that James Charles privately asked him to take down the video series against him.
Following these claims, rumors started circulating online that James Charles had reportedly paid Evan Johnson’s bail. Additionally, conspiracy theories emerged online that he had been flying out to Evan and having a s*xual relationship with him, in exchange for money and gifts.
In his latest statement regarding the Evan Johnson and Kayla Malec drama, James Charles admitted to having a “brief friendship” with the former, but denied ever being s*xually involved.
“Evan Johnson and I did not — in any way, shape, or form — have a s*xual relationship. We did not have s*x while he was here, and I did not under any circumstances pay Evan Johnson for s*xual favors,” James claimed.
The makeup artist, TV actor, and influencer shared that he tried to contact Kayla Malec over the past few weeks to tell his side of the story, but she was reportedly “unwilling” to respond.
“Frankly, I don’t f**king blame her. After I watched the laughable interview between Bee Better and Zack Sellars, I wouldn’t want to have a conversation with me either if I was being fed complete bullsh*t lies and misinformation from the person whose only source of information is the same man who lied to and abused me for nine months straight,” James observed.
In late April 2025, Kayla Malec appeared on the Bangin’ Out podcast and shared how one of her close friends “f**ked her over” in ways she couldn’t have imagined. She added that she had proof and receipts of the betrayal, and that the friend admitted it to her upon being confronted.
However, Malec abstained from naming the friend or providing further details, presumably due to the pending court case involving her former boyfriend.
Upon her revelation, the internet speculated it was James Charles, which was further fueled by Zach Seller’s podcast claims and Australian TikTok Mikaela Testa’s claims on April 30, 2025.
Before his TikTok video statement, James Charles took to his TikTok Story on May 6, 2025, and wrote, “I DO NOT SUPPORT EVAN JOHNSON. I am hoping & praying Kayla gets justice tomorrow. As I promised her privately, I will not be responding publicly to anything until after the hearing is over.”
On April 4, 2025, Kayla Malec, 20, uploaded a YouTube video series titled “He doesn’t love you,” where she claimed she had “silently” been in an “extremely abusive relationship” for nine months. She also mentioned leaving him in late January.
Meanwhile, Johnson, 20, was arrested and charged with domestic assault and violation of probation in Sumner County, Tennessee, on April 7, 2025, but made bail the same day.
While police did not officially name Johnson’s accuser, and Kayla initially didn’t identify her abuser, she later confirmed the same in a follow-up video. PEOPLE MAGAZINE also reviewed the court documents and reported her as the alleged victim in the Evan Johnson case.
