James Charles Says ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ As He Reflects on Controversial Years in the Spotlight

James Charles is reflecting on his controversial years in the spotlight.

“Nobody’s perfect. I think that when you do grow up in the spotlight, it is a blessing and a curse,” Charles, 25, exclusively told Us Weekly at Gurus Magazine’s #30VOICES30DAYS Cover Launch Party at The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood on Saturday, June 1. “You get so many incredible opportunities and are able to take advantage of so many incredible, fun things that most people wouldn't have the privilege of experiencing in their lives, but you're also growing up in the spotlight. So with that does come mistakes.”

He continued: “It's all about learning how to grow and always be a stronger, smarter and better person along the way.”

Charles added that he’s been “rediscovering” himself for the past two years and “kind of reimagining what the James Charles brand to the public eye really is.”

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“I've been doing social media since I was a little kid and it's been the biggest blessing,” he said. “But I also feel like for such a long time I was putting on — I don’t want to say a character because that makes it seem fake — but it was just a really hyper version of myself. Whereas now I’m just worrying about being authentic and telling my truth and my stories and being able to let people see me for who I really am when the cameras are off.”

Charles noted he’s begun working on his own music, which he calls “the biggest blessing.” He added, “It’s really just about sharing more about me in a super authentic and real way.”

In the industry, Charles noted that he’s had some “really good” pals — including JoJo Siwa whom he called “a great friend that always kept it 100 percent real.” He added that “there’s been some OGs” that he can “really look up to” including NikkieTutorials and Jaclyn Hill.

Charles faced several controversies — and feuds — since rising to stardom as a makeup mogul. In February 2021, he denied claims that he had groomed an underage boy online after allegations swirled on TikTok. While Charles alleged that the boy said he was 18, the boy refuted the claims in a statement.

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“James we both know I blocked you, you never asked for my age. After I told you I was 16 you proceeded to ask me for nudes and said it didn’t matter,” he wrote via X. “You called me hot and said ‘I wish the timeline could speed up so you can be 18.’”

Additionally, Charles famously feuded with fellow YouTuber and makeup guru Tati Westbrook for one week in 2019 when Westbrook, 42, posted a tell-all video about why she no longer wanted to be associated with Charles. A source exclusively told Us at the time that the situation with Westbrook had left Charles “mortified.”

With reporting by Mike Vulpo