The Truth About Why YouTube Star Jenna Marbles Quit

YouTube titan Jenna Marbles announced on Thursday that she would be leaving the platform. She also announced that she had set several of her previous videos to private, fearing they might offend viewers. This announcement comes in the wake of the third "dramageddon" (or scandal surrounding beauty influencers like Jeffree Star and James Charles accusing each other and being accused of problematic behavior), according to Insider. To long-time fans, this news might come as a shock. Marbles (real name Mourey) has been on the site since 2010 and became one of its most beloved content creators with more than 20 million subscribers and a billion views (via YouTube). 

The video, which is titled "A Message," shot straight to the top of the YouTube Trending page Thursday. In it, Mourey showed and addressed a series of controversial clips from her past videos, including an impersonation of Niki Minaj in blackface and a rap with a racial slur (via Today).

After showing the clips of these almost 10-year-old videos, Mourey took accountability and expressed regret that her videos had offended and hurt the people who saw them, insisting they do not reflect her current beliefs. "It's not okay. It's shameful. It's awful," she said. "I wish it wasn't part of my past" (via CNN). Mourey also apologized to her fans: "I'm just a person, trying to navigate the world, just like you are. I don't always know what's right, what's wrong, and what the truth is. And I'm just trying my best," going on to say that people aren't defined by their past but rather who they are today.

Finally, Mourey announced that, as part of holding herself accountable, she can't continue to make videos and will move on from her channel, at least for now: "I want to make sure that the things that I put into the world are not hurting anyone."