In a recent video, Pewdiepie (Felix Kjellberg) announced that he would be making a $50,000 donation the Anti-Defamation League only to then quickly reverse course and pull his support after fans began spreading conspiracy theories about his connection with the organization and the pressure they may have placed on the content creator.
Fans questioned whether the YouTube star was being blackmailed into pledging lest the organization possibly get his channel suspended or removed from the platform. In 2017 the ADL praised Disney for dropping their partnership with Kjellberg after he posted “videos on YouTube containing swastikas and other anti-Semitic content.”
In his video, Kjellberg stated that this donation was a way to finally place all the past allegations of anti-Semitism behind him, as well as all the alt-right claims leveled against him. He also noted that he was finally coming to terms with the responsibility of being a content creator.
In a followup video that Kjellberg made an about-face on the donation, he said he was pulling away from the ADL because it was an organization that he was advised to support and not one he was passionate about. He addressed the conspiracy theories around his initial support saying “people could tell something was off,” and that it was “very interesting to watch unfold.” In the past, the ADL has faced its own criticism for its support for Israel, had charges of defamation leveld against them, and its problematic stance on the Armenian Genocide.
It really doesn’t feel genuine for me to proceed with the donation at this point, and I instead wanted to actually take my time and keep the intent that I had, but do it with the right charity and doing it properly. I just wanted to make that clear. I’m sorry for all the confusion, and I’m sorry for messing this up. That’s what I do!”
Felix Kjellberg
Kjellberg has stated in his original video that the ADL as an “organization that fights bigotry and prejudice in all its forms,” but that didn’t stop many of his fans from spreading the idea that the anti-hate organization was threatening to censor him in some way on YouTube. Comments under his current video reversing his decision to donate to the ADL, fans generally support Kjellberg with many coming out strongly against the ADL.
The ADL released its own statement saying that they had no idea a donation was being made and that the “ADL learned about the potential donation from Felix Kjellberg when everyone else did: when he made the announcement on his channel earlier this week. We have not received any communication from him beyond that.”
While his support in comments on his own videos seems fairly strong, others online took to comments on forums and other publications to call out Kjellberg to bowing to pressure from fans and their conspiracy theories.
And if your fanbase thinks you’re being FORCED to donate to charity, an action that is so outlandish to them they think it can only be performed under duress, you have a garbage fucking fanbase.
User mouseclicker
Kjellberg said it no longer felt genuine to continue with the donation and that he wanted to take his time to select a different charity while keeping the original intent that he had.
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