Spirit Airlines declared bankruptcy on May 2, 2026, resulting in about 17,000 layoffs nationwide [1]. Shortly after, Amber Lendof Vargas, a former Spirit Airlines employee, reached out to influencer James Charles via TikTok direct message, asking for donations through a GoFundMe campaign after losing her job [1].
James Charles responded by posting a TikTok that mocked Vargas's request. In the video, he called her “lazy” and accused her of sending mass donation requests instead of applying for jobs. Charles said, "You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Try that, because in the time it took you to copy and paste the same fk-ass message to me, who you don’t follow by the way, and to one hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could’ve applied to a hundred other jobs, because you’re a lazy piece of st and you’re entitled. Why would I ever help you?" [1]
The TikTok drew widespread backlash online. Critics viewed Charles’s remarks as insensitive and out of touch with the financial struggles faced by those impacted by the bankruptcy [1, 2]. In response to the criticism, Charles deleted the controversial video shortly after posting it [1, 2].
The incident also reignited a public feud between James Charles and podcaster YouTuber Trisha Paytas, who criticized Charles on her podcast "Just Trish". Paytas mocked Charles by saying, "Imagine always being the victim in every situation, James how do u do it?" [2]. Charles responded by rejecting Paytas’s accusations, including claims he had been labeled a child groomer, and described Paytas as someone who "had started a fight with about every single other creator on this platform" [2].
The Spirit Airlines bankruptcy and resulting layoffs continue to affect thousands of workers like Vargas. Charles’s TikTok controversy adds to ongoing tensions in the influencer community as the fallout from the bankruptcy unfolds [1, 2].
