Gypsy Rose Blanchard Steps Up With $500 Donation After James Charles Controversy Surrounding Laid-Off Spirit Airlines Worker

The fallout from James Charles's now-deleted TikTok video continues to generate headlines, with fellow influencer Gypsy Rose Blanchard joining hundreds of supporters rallying behind a Spirit Airlines worker at the center of the controversy.

Amber Lendof Vargas, a 30-year-old operations agent at Boston Logan Airport, lost her job this month when Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations, affecting more than 17,000 employees. When Vargas reached out to Charles via direct message seeking assistance through her GoFundMe campaign, the beauty influencer responded by posting a video where he called her "lazy" and "entitled," suggesting she simply find another job.

The video sparked swift criticism online, leading Charles to delete the post and issue an apology. Following the backlash, support for Vargas has poured in, with her GoFundMe now exceeding $12,000 in donations from more than 300 contributors.

Among those showing solidarity is Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who contributed $500 alongside an encouraging message. "Hi, my name is Gypsy Rose Blanchard and I am an influencer on TikTok. I have 9.3 million followers and I'm truly sorry for what happened and I'm sending many positive vibes to you," she wrote.

Blanchard subsequently addressed her own platform, speaking directly to her 9.3 million followers about the importance of giving back. "I see you. You are a human being," she said in a TikTok video. "Without you, I would not have a platform that I have. I'd just be another face in the crowd, honestly."

She elaborated on her philosophy of supporting those in need: "There have been times that people have reached out to me in DMs that were like, 'Hey, I am late on my mortgage' or 'Hey, I'm having a baby and I don't have any baby items.' And I have sent Cash App money to followers. I have sent Aurora's old baby items to a follower. It's a humanity thing. No, I don't have millions of dollars to just give out to everybody. I've got responsibilities of my own. But if I have it to spare, I'm gonna try to help other people out."

Vargas has since shared the original direct message that prompted Charles's video, as well as a screenshot suggesting Charles made a donation following the controversy. She also posted about her experience, captioning a video: "Im not on enough Lexapro for social media, you guys are making my anxiety go through the roof."

The situation has shone a light on the broader impact of Spirit Airlines' shutdown, with numerous employees launching fundraising campaigns to cover essential expenses during their job search. Among those seeking support are flight attendants and operations staff who suddenly found themselves without income and facing housing, food, and childcare costs.

Jamie Patzer, a 20-year Spirit flight attendant, is raising funds for her mortgage and potential moving costs after nearly losing her home. Earl Grant, who spent nearly five years with the airline, learned of the shutdown mid-flight on May 2 and is now seeking assistance for rent and utilities.

Other fundraisers include Marnier Elias-Peeples, organizing support for Houston-area colleagues through grocery gift cards; Dashantae Buckholtz, a single mother prioritizing childcare for her daughter; and Mario Perez, managing a $4,000 mortgage independently. Additional campaigns have been launched by Vecenté Ashley Murray, who lost significant sick time and vacation hours; Kamille Carter, channeling her efforts into opening a restaurant; Nadine Jeter, who relocated from Jamaica to pursue her aviation career; and Antonio and Nathan Wooddy, a South Florida couple who both lost their positions at the airline.