Nikita Dragun is a trans influencer who has practically 25 million followers throughout TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Trans YouTuber Nikita Dragun has accused a former Vine star of transphobia, after footage of the latter calling her a “dude” was shared on Instagram.
Dragun posted clips that she mentioned got here from YouTuber and Vine star Taylor Caniff’s “shut buddies” Instagram story. The video exhibits Caniff leaving a membership with two males and asking them in the event that they knew Dragun was a “dude”.
Within the video, Caniff says: “They regarded like I threw a stun grenade at the back of the safety lounge. They have been like, ‘Bro what?’ and I used to be like, ‘Yeah, that was a dude’, they usually couldn’t consider it.”
Caniff is understood for collaborating with fellow influencers and former Vine stars Cameron Dallas and Nash Grier. All three have been a part of MagCon, a content material collective throughout the video internet hosting service’s heyday.
Dragun mentioned on her Instagram: “That is what it’s prefer to be trans. My livelihood is consistently threatened by simply residing my life as a trans particular person. That is how trans folks die.
“We should cease trans hate as a result of it results in trans violence and folks lose their lives or, even worse, they take their very own lives. Experiencing issues like this breaks my coronary heart.”
Caniff responded by claiming that a few of his “clout-ridden” buddies have been answerable for leaking the clip and it had been a “joke”.
In a now-deleted publish on X/Twitter, Dragun branded him “transphobic”. Since then, customers on X have dug out an previous YouTube video by influencer Tana Mongeau, who, three years in the past, additionally accused Caniff of being transphobic.
PinkNews reached out for remark to Taylor Caniff for a remark. He replied:
“Please have a look at her video with the Miami police division. And see how she treats folks and people. I’ve no points with how folks need to dwell their lives. Trans, homosexual no matter it’s. I assist all of them. I simply extremely dislike Nikita Dragun as a human.”
Why is Nikita Dragun a polarising determine?
Firstly, we aren’t suggesting that any trans particular person – even ones who’ve beforehand confronted controversy – ever deserves to be subjected to transphobia or misgendering. Nevertheless, for context on Caniff’s remark above – it’s price noting that Dragun has been referred to as out a number of instances for her behaviour prior to now.
Dragun is an influencer {and professional} make-up artist who shortly gained three million subscribers on YouTube after becoming a member of in 2013, and likewise as greater than million followers on Instagram.
Since then, Dragun has been concerned in numerous controversies. Most notably, she was accused of “blackfishing” when modelling for Jeffree Star Cosmetics in 2017.
She was additionally arrested in 2022 for alleged battery on a police officer at a Miami Seaside resort.
How did Nikita Dragun develop into well-known?
Dragun turned well-known first on YouTube, getting small model offers, then deciding to “begin taking Instagram and YouTube significantly”.
She launched her personal cosmetics line, Dragun Magnificence, in 2019 and joined TikTok in 2020, the place she has garnered 13 million followers.
She constructed her magnificence and fashion-focused content material over time, beginning to mannequin for her personal cosmetics line in addition to for different manufacturers.
Her make-up line is focused in direction of the transgender group, and all merchandise are vegan and cruelty-free, which is why she wished to launch her model independently.
Dragun can also be a member of Hype Home, a TikTok creator collective.
She has been overtly transgender since 2015, starting to transition when she was at college selecting the title Nikita after the TV present of the identical title.
What controversies has Nikita Dragun been concerned in?
She’s been accused of blackfishing: which is when people who find themselves not Black make themselves look Black, biracial, or racially ambiguous in photographs, movies or in actual life.
Individuals mentioned Nikita Dragun’s pores and skin regarded noticeably darker than common in a shoot for Jeffree Star Cosmetics in 2017, however Dragun mentioned she was disillusioned by the backlash, telling Seventeen: “It’s very unlucky {that a} part of the group is selecting to interpret and liken my picture in Jeffree Star’s marketing campaign to blackface.”
That was not the one time she has been accused of racial insensitivity, going through a backlash for placing a Black man on a canine leash on the MTV Video Music Awards in 2019, and being referred to as out for carrying field braids and culturally appropriating Black hairstyles.
Dragun defined that she was carrying field braids to “present my love and appreciation for all of the beautiful Black girls in my life”.
She was criticised once more in 2020 when she tweeted what she mentioned was a joke about her combined heritage, by asking “What race ought to I be?”. She was referred to as out for blackfishing once more in 2021 after posting promotional photographs from her Dragun Cosmetics line.
Earlier than the latest bust up with Taylor Caniff, there have additionally been earlier feuds with fellow influencers.
She confronted criticism for talking out in favour of YouTuber and make-up influencer James Charles in 2019, following magnificence YouTuber Tati Westbrook’s controversial “Bye Sister” video, and rowing with former Hype Home member Daisy Keech – who was on vacation with Dragun’s ex-boyfriend.
There was one other disagreement on Twitter in 2021, after YouTuber and singer Trisha Paytas mocked Dragun’s Snapchat docu-series.
Dragun was additionally accused of attending a celebration throughout the pandemic and breaking COVID-19 restrictions by not carrying a masks.