30-year-old Amber Lendof Vargas‘ world came crashing down when Spirit Airlines included her in a major layoff that resulted in the firing of nearly 17,000 employees after declaring bankruptcy and shutting down operations on May 2.
To make ends meet, Vargas sought help from one of TikTok’s most popular personalities, James Charles, a prominent beauty influencer famous for makeup tutorials and artistic collaborations with names like Kylie Jenner.
Instead of helping or supporting her, Charles made Vargas’ story go from a simple layoff to viral humiliation.
“You’re a lazy piece of sh*t, and you’re entitled, and you think that influencers and celebrities should fund your life for you. Why would I ever help you?” Charles said.
The backlash against Charles was severe, forcing him to apologize. Vargas, on the other hand, was not willing to forgive him.
James Charles mocked “entitled” Amber Vargas for requesting help
Image credits: jamescharles
On May 8, James Charles, 26, shared a video on TikTok to his 40 million followers, making fun of Vargas’s GoFundMe request.
James said, “I just got a DM on here from a girl who said, ‘Good morning, James. I know you’ll probably never see this, but if you could just take one minute to read it, it would really mean a lot to me. I’m really struggling right now because Spirit Airlines just filed for bankruptcy, and I have lost my job. Here’s a GoFundMe link. Any donations help.’”
Image credits: RichLux713
“I’m sure they do, sweetheart. I’m sure they do. You know what else would help you? Getting another job,” Charles continued.
“Yeah, try that. Because in the time that it took you to copy and paste the same f*ck a*s message to me, who you don’t follow, by the way, and probably a hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could’ve applied for a hundred other jobs.”
“Welcome to the real world, sweetheart. People lose their jobs every f*cking day,” he went on, emphasizing once again how Vargas sent him a message without following him or supporting his work.
Image credits: hannahsgroove
Image credits: Nikita Grishin/pexels
“And you’re white, pretty, and able-bodied; you’re in a much better position than a lot of other people out here who are trying clearly much harder to make a better life for themselves,” he added, saying that he might have considered donating if Vargas had been a “longtime fan” and was suffering from “a really rare genetic disease.”
Many heavily criticized Charles, calling him “privileged” and his comments “vile” and “rude.” Some agreed with him, but called him out for posting a “dramatic” video exposing Vargas and her private plea.
Image credits: RichLux713
Some even pointed out that the beauty influencer “lied” about Vargas being white. “Vargas” is a surname primarily of Spanish, Portuguese, and Cuban origins.
It is unclear whether Vargas personally reached out to other influencers for financial assistance.
Amber Vargas refused to accept James Charles’ apology over GoFundMe comments
The Spirit Airlines saga continues 🛩️
A laid off Spirit Airlines worker said she doesn’t accept James Charles’ apology after he mocked her GoFundMe online. James later apologized privately, called his comments ‘disgraceful, & donated to her GoFundMe, but she said the public… pic.twitter.com/iPg9EIJdct
— Complex (@Complex) May 15, 2026
After facing fierce online outrage, Charles responded to Vargas’ DM, apologizing to her and saying that he had donated to her GoFundMe campaign.
Vargas, who had been working at Boston Logan Airport for the past couple of years as a Spirit Airlines operations agent, posted a TikTok video on May 14 in which she revealed her response.
“Hell no,” she said. “I don’t accept his apology, especially because he was very public with what he said, and he thought it was okay to message me privately.”
Image credits: SoldOfficial
Image credits: PopBase
She then shared a screenshot of the apology Charles allegedly sent to her.
“It was disgraceful and completely unnecessary, and there is no excuse for me yelling at and berating someone for asking for help in a sh*tty situation that was completely out of your control,” he wrote. “I’m so sorry for adding to what was already a distressing time. I’m so ashamed not only for the video but also for being so disgustingly out of touch.”
He informed Vargas that he has been reading about the struggles of “real people” who unexpectedly found themselves unemployed and the difficulty of securing a new job in the current market.
Spirit Airlines worker, who James Charles put on blast for asking for financial support after being laid off, shares the apology she received from him:
“Do I accept his apology? […] Hell no.” pic.twitter.com/Yqk6IjLx99
— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 14, 2026
“I’ve just donated to your GoFundMe, but also please know I’m here if there is anything else I can help with or do,” he continued. “Also, fully understand if you never want to hear from me again. I genuinely wish you all the best and hope you’re doing okay.”
Vargas’ GoFundMe page shows Charles gave $5,000 and is currently the second-highest donor after an anonymous $10,000 donation. Other internet personalities, such as Kris Collins, Jordan Matter, Jeremy Pugh, and Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, also chipped in, helping raise over $40,000 so far.
Image credits: THighgate11
Image credits: jamescharles
Previously, Vargas also shared the screenshot of the message she sent to Charles, which read very differently from what the makeup artist had said: “Spirit Airlines closed, leaving me without a job. Anything will help.”
The screenshot showed a follow-up from her, sent after Charles’ rant, saying, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you by sending you my GoFundMe. I thought you’d never see.”
James Charles previously doubled down on his take before issuing a public apology
@jamescharleslolresponding to the deleted spirit airlines video ❤️♬ original sound – James Charles Spam
After his initial video went viral and sparked widespread outrage, James Charles deleted it the next day and posted another one defending his actions.
He confessed to being “out of touch” but also took a jab at the “cute little think pieces” shared by fellow influencers who criticized his outburst at Vargas.
Image credits: MissOoo1g
Image credits: jamescharles
“A lot of people these days do not have the make it work mentality,” he explained in the video, posted on May 9. “They have no desire to actually put in the effort to actually fix a problem and get themselves out of a situation.”
“I’m sorry if that comes across as insensitive, or mean, or privileged, but welcome to the real world,” he added after opining that asking for financial help should be the “last resort” for anyone unemployed.
Image credits: GoFundMe
However, the second video further fanned the flames of backlash, and Charles deleted it as well.
He uploaded a third video the same day, issuing an apology, calling his initial reaction “rude, obnoxious, privileged, and completely f*cking unnecessary.”
Image credits: seiqu
Image credits: taraliyah
“When I saw that DM, I absolutely had the choice to ignore it and say absolutely nothing and move on with my day,” he admitted. “I couldn’t even tell you why her message just triggered me, and I decided instead to make a video about it.
“I bashed her, and it was obnoxious, and I shamed her for asking for help in a situation where she was clearly struggling, and this could’ve been her absolutely last resort.”
Image credits: Amber Lendof vargas
“For me, personally, it definitely s*cks to receive messages (asking for money) from people who don’t follow you and don’t support you, treating you like a personal ATM or bank account. But what I’m sure s*cks even more is to not know where your next paycheck is coming from and whether or not you’ll be able to put food on the table.”
“Publicly shaming her was wild.” Netizens voiced their opinions on James Charles berating Amber Vargas for GoFundMe request
Image credits: meilimagic
Image credits: yoshijacksons
Image credits: NoupebN
Image credits: JustsayKei
Image credits: LZwedala1228
Image credits: al_saudigirl
Image credits: LyfAcrosBorders
Image credits: ottagiveashit
Image credits: ArizBoobiez
Image credits: Web3Kristel
Image credits: rhiannonsirr_
