A former Spirit Airlines worker has publicly rejected a private apology from James Charles after the influencer shamed her for asking for financial help following her layoff.
Amber Lendof Vargas, 30, was among the 17,000 employees who lost their jobs whenSpirit Airlines ceased operationsin May 2026. After she messaged Charles with a link to her GoFundMe, the beauty mogul responded with an expletive-filled rant on his backup TikTok account, calling her a 'lazy piece of s–t' and telling her to 'get another job'.
Despite Charles later issuing a public apology and sending a 'grovelling' private message, the James Charles apology controversy has only intensified.
On 15 May 2026, Amber revealed she would not accept his remorse, stating that a private message cannot undo the psychological damage caused by a public mockery seen by millions.
The controversy began when James Charles allegedly reacted toAmber's GoFundMepage in a now-deleted post that quickly circulated online before being removed. According to the reference details, he criticised her fundraising efforts and suggested she should 'get another job', while also calling her 'lazy' and 'entitled'.
Although the post is no longer visible on his account, screenshots and reposts continued to fuel what many are calling theJames Charles deleted post criticism waveacross social platforms. The situation escalated rapidly as users debated whether the comments were fair, harsh, or completely out of touch with the reality of sudden job loss.
The backlash intensified because the remarks were made publicly, reaching millions of followers before any damage-control effort was made.
Following the incident, Amber addressed the situation directly on TikTok, where her response quickly gained traction. She explained that, after the backlash, she chose not to engage with a private message from Charles, stating that the apology did not feel meaningful following the public humiliation.
She said she would not accept the apology, emphasising that the emotional impact of being criticised in front of a large audience could not be undone in private messages.
In her words, the issue was not just what was said, but how it was delivered, and the imbalance between public harm and private remorse became a central theme in the discussion.
Source: International Business Times UK
