Colleen Ballinger in fresh controversy after blackface performance resurfaces

Colleen Ballinger has faced renewed backlash after old footage reemerges appearing to show her performing in blackface to a Beyonce song.

Ballinger is also known for her online persona Miranda Sings who became popular in the 2010s by sharing satirical clips of her singing.

Recently, she has faced accusations of grooming minors and was criticised by former fans for turning an apology into a “joke” after posting a video singing and playing the ukulele while referencing the situation

Now, the 36-year-old has faced significant backlash for appearing to perform in blackface in a video posted on her YouTube five years ago which remains up as an unlisted clip.

In the video, she can be seen wearing a black leotard and is flanked by two male backing dancers as she does an awkward performance of Beyonce’s Single Ladies with what appears to be a black substance painted on her face.

A clip from the video was shared on Twitter by British social media influencer Paige Christie, who wrote: “I’m gonna need someone to explain the black on her face…”

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The clip left viewers shocked, particularly after Christie did some investigating and found the video had been uploaded as recently as 2018.

One person responded: “WHAT?! How has she only now been cancelled pls and the people laughing. I feel sick.”

It’s not the first time Ballinger has been accused of racism and racial stereotyping and in 2020, the singer apologised in which she pretended to be Latina. In a video, she said, “It is not funny, and it is completely hurtful”.

She continued: “I am so ashamed and embarrassed that I ever thought this was OK. I was a sheltered teenager who was stupid and ignorant and clearly extremely culturally insensitive… Racial stereotypes are not funny, they’re not a joke, and they should never be joked about.”

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