Nash Grier is a 16 year old social media star. 3.1 million people follow Grier on YouTube and a staggering 8.7 million people follow him on short video sharing service Vine.
Earlier this week the teen star was criticised by Tyler Oakley for making a Vine that called people argued that HIV is a gay disease and called people ‘Fags’.
Grier’s Vine video featured a clip from a public service television commercial that said “Testing for HIV, it’s not a gay thing”, Nash then appeared on camera shouting “Yes it is, fags!”
Tweets that teenager has previously made asking his followers to “Retweet this if you’re against gay marriage” and another stating ‘Gay Rights? Nahh were also highlighted.
Grier subsequently issued an apology on his Twitter account stating; “I apologize for anything negative I’ve said against gays, and that matter anyone. I was young, ignorant, stupid, and in a bad place. I’ve moved on and learned from my mistakes and I am so truly sorry to anyone I have offended. I have nothing against anyone or anything that promotes equality. Sorry again.”
More recently the teen star has tried to continue to salvage his reputation by kissing a male fan. The photo was posted to Snapchat and later re-posted on Tumblr.
The controversy has also raised some interesting ethical questions. Should sixteen year old social media stars be held accountable to the same level of expectation as other celebrities?
Does the fact that Grier has over 8 million people following him make him more accountable than someone with just a few followers?
Let us know your thoughts by adding a comment below.
OIP Staff
