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The new allegations strongly contradict the sentiment that Donaldson is a force for good, Varbanova said, leaving his audience feeling let down.
These feelings of disappointment are amplified by what Varbanova described as “comparanoia” — obsessing over comparing your own life to someone else’s.
Alix Earle, the darling of TikTok, for example, has been an easy target for critics of the influencer industry, with many taking issue with her level of fame for a perceived lack of work after her meteoric rise.
Some of Earle’s old social media posts where she used racial slurs have been recirculating, and fans have been disappointed that she has yet to address them.
“It feels like, wow. Why do people with such pasts go further in life?” Varbanova said. “There’s this misunderstanding that being a good person is what brings success.”
Reputational and financial consequences
Natacha Rousseau, a PR specialist who has worked with influencers for over a decade, told BI that these scandals underscore a significant shift in how people interact with and perceive influencers.
“Fans are no longer passive consumers of content; they are active participants in holding creators accountable for their past and present actions,” she said.
A growing awareness and intolerance of problematic behavior is fueled by social justice movements and a heightened sensitivity to issues like racism, sexism, and exploitation, Rousseau said.
“Behaviors that were once overlooked or excused are being re-examined under a more critical lens,” she added. “Influencers, by virtue of their visibility, are not exempt from this scrutiny.”
Rousseau said the consequences are twofold, both on the influencer’s reputation and finances. Schofield may have lost a brand deal after her tweets came out. Ko stepped down from his podcast company. And while he’s still posting videos, Donaldson has taken a big step back from being visible online.
Rousseau said fans are becoming disillusioned with influencers’ rise-fall cycles. This, she said, reflects “a broader cultural fatigue with the constant churn of content creators who appear authentic only to later reveal problematic pasts.”
As a result, they are questioning whether the influencer model is sustainable at all “or if it’s setting them up for repeated disappointment,” she said.
Michael Buckner
But an influencer’s worth to a brand only exists if their audience does.
Jasmine Bloemhof, who has worked in PR in LA for 20 years, told BI that going forward, how influencers deal with their various fallouts will be critical because they are going to be more scrutinized than ever.
Trust can be rebuilt, Bloemhof said, but there’s a delicate balance to find.
“The longer an influencer goes without addressing the ‘elephant in the room,’ the less likely they will be able to recover and earn back trust lost by their fans,” she said. “It is a slippery slope.”
Overall, people crave authenticity, and nobody expects anyone else to be perfect.
“We all know that they are human,” Bloemhof said. “But when we feel hoodwinked and confused about who someone really is and what they stand for, that is where things get complicated and messy.”
Rousseau agreed that people are more discerning and have higher demands for ethical integrity. They are wise to those trying to use being “canceled” to propel their careers and better at determining who is worthy of their attention.
“The age of accountability is here to stay,” Rousseau said. “And those who navigate it thoughtfully will ultimately thrive.”