James Charles Draws Criticism After Mocking Spirit Airlines Layoff Victim's GoFundMe Request

James Charles is drawing heavy criticism following a video in which he responded harshly to a direct message from a woman who lost her employment when Spirit Airlines shut down.

Last week, the budget airline filed for bankruptcy, resulting in roughly 17,000 job losses across the company. One affected employee reached out to the content creator with a GoFundMe link, seeking financial support during her transition.

Charles posted his response on his backup TikTok account, where he mocked the woman's request in explicit terms. The video has since been removed, though clips have circulated widely online.

In the footage, Charles reads the woman's message aloud in a sarcastic tone: "Good morning, James. I know you'll probably never see this, but if you could just take one minute to read it would really mean a lot to me. I'm really struggling right now because Spirit Airlines just filed for bankruptcy and I have lost my job. Here's a GoFundMe link. Any donations help."

He then offered his own commentary: "I'm sure they do, sweetheart. I'm sure they do. You know what else would help you? Getting another job. Yeah, try that. Because in the time that it took you to copy and paste the same f–k ass message to myself, who you don't follow, by the way, and probably a hundred other influencers and celebrities, you could've applied for a hundred other jobs. But you didn't, 'cause you're a lazy piece of s–t, and you're entitled, and you think that influencers and celebrities should fund your life for you."

Charles emphasized that the woman was not a follower of his account, suggesting that may have influenced his response. He appeared to view the outreach as a mass appeal rather than a personal plea from someone who supported his work.

"You're not a fan, you don't even follow me, you've never supported me, this is your first time DMing," he stated. "And you think that I'm gonna send you money because you lost your job?! Oh my God, welcome to the real world, sweetheart. People lose their jobs every f–king day. And you're white, pretty, and able-bodied; you're in a much better position than a lot of other people out here who are trying clearly much harder to make a better life for themselves."

Charles continued his critique, comparing the situation unfavorably to scenarios he suggested might warrant his assistance. "I could at least understand if you were like, 'James, I'm a longtime fan, here's a trillion years of DMs and my support for you, I love you. I'm suffering with a really rare genetic disease that there's no cure for, and I'm trying to raise money for myself and other people that have this.' Maybe I would help. This bitch, you lost your f–king job? Ugh! What are we gonna do? Nothing! I'm gonna do nothing, you know what you need to do? Go find a f–king new one girl! Put some effort into the workplace!"

The exchange has generated substantial negative reaction across social media platforms, with many users objecting to Charles's characterization of someone facing sudden unemployment.