Famed YouTube celebrity Jenna Marbles uploaded a tearful video on June 25 announcing that she would be leaving the platform that made her famous, after a video of her in blackface resurfaced along with a video of her rapping and using racist language against the Asian community. “It’s awful. It doesn’t need to exist. It’s inexcusable…I shouldn’t have said that, ever. It’s not cool, it’s not cute, it’s not okay. I’m embarrassed I ever made that, period,” she said in her video. Here are five things you should know about the YouTuber.
1) Jenna joined YouTube in 2010. After working various jobs in the Boston area, Jenna took to YouTube and began uploading videos as her alter-ego/ YouTube character Jenna Marbles. One of her early videos — “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking” — garnered over five million views. Another video she released in 2011 — “How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To” — was featured in The New York Times and ABC News in August 2011. When she was active on her account, Jenna would publish a new video every Wednesday or Thursday, amassing over 20 million subscribers to her channel and publishing hundreds of videos in the years since.
3) Jenna has tried to own up to her mistakes in the past. During an FYI special that included appearances from Scott Disick and Malika Haqq, Jenna described how she would be contributing to the problem if she did not address her privilege as a White person. “White privilege is a privilege and if you don’t acknowledge it that’s contributing to the problem,” she said in the video.
5) She’s a college and masters program graduate. Jenna received her Bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University where she studied psychology. She earned her Master of Education degree in sport psychology and counseling from Boston University.