Nikita Dragun is a trans celebrity who has nearly 25 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Trans YouTuber Nikita Dragun has accused a former Vine star of stigmatization, after images of the latter calling her a “dude” were shared on Instagram.
Dragun posted videos that she said came from YouTuber and Vine star Taylor Caniff’s “close friends” Instagram account. Caniff asks two people in a group if they knew Dragun was a “dude” before leaving and asking them.
In the video, Caniff says: “They looked like I threw a surprise rocket in the back of the security club. They were like, ‘Bro what?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, that was a bro,’ and they could hardly believe it.”
Caniff is renowned for working with other bloggers, including former Vine actors Cameron Dallas and Nash Grier. All three were part of MagCon, a group shared during the heyday of the platform.
Dragun said on her Instagram: “This is what it’s like to be transgender. Living openly as a trans person puts my safety in jeopardy. Trans people die this way.
We must put an end to transphobia because it causes transgender people to die or, worse, they commit suicide. Being affected by issues like this breaks my heart.
Caniff responded by claiming that some of his “clout-ridden” friends were to blame for the leak, which was a joke.
In a now-deleted post on Twitter, Dragun branded him “transphobic.” Since then, people on Twitter have dug out an old YouTube video by celebrity Tana Mongeau, who, three years ago, also accused Caniff of being misogynistic.
Taylor Caniff was reached out for a reply, and PinkNews reached out for a reply. He replied:
“Choose to glance at her video with the Miami officers office. And see how she treats people and individuals. I have no problems with how people want to live their life. Trans, queer whatever it is. I support them all. I really detest Nikita Dragun as a person a lot.
Why does Nikita Dragun have such polarizing traits?
First of all, we don’t believe that any transgender person ever deserves to be the subject of misgendering or transphobia, even if they’ve already experienced controversy. But, for context on Caniff’s remark above, it is important to point out that Dragun has been repeatedly criticized for her actions in the past.
Dragun is a popular makeup artist and influencer who quickly surpassed three million YouTube subscribers and more than one million Instagram followers in 2013.
Since then, Dragun has been involved in a number of conflicts. Most notably, she was accused of “blackfishing” during her 2017 modeling for Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
She was even arrested in 2022 for allegedly assaulting a police officer at a Miami Beach resort.
How did Nikita Dragun become popular?
Dragun became popular primarily on YouTube, landing several brand deals, eventually deciding to “start taking Instagram and YouTube seriously.”
She launched her own skincare range, Dragun Beauty, in 2019 and joined TikTok in 2020, where she has garnered 13 million fans.
She began modeling for her own skincare line as well as for different companies as she grew her beauty and fashion-focused content.
Her makeup line is targeted towards the trans community, and all products are vegan and cruelty-free, which is why she wanted to launch her brand independently.
Dragun is also a part of Hype House, a TikTok content creator collective.
Since 2015, she has been openly trans, starting when she chose to call herself Nikita after the TV show of the same name when she was a student.
What controversy has Nikita Dragun been involved in?
She’s been accused of blackfishing: which is when people who are not Black make themselves look Black, mixed, or culturally ambiguous in images, videos, or in actual existence.
In a 2017 shoot for Jeffree Star Cosmetics, people claimed Nikita Dragun’s body appeared considerably darker than usual, but Dragun expressed disappointment in the criticism, saying, “It’s really unfortunate that a section of the community is choosing to interpret and liken my photograph to black.
Not only has she been accused of racism, but she has also been accused of racism after being attacked for wearing a dark man’s dog collar at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. She has also been accused of racism.
Dragun explained that she was wearing dreadlocks to “demonstrate my love and appreciation for all the beautiful Black people in my life.”
She was once more criticized in 2020 when she tweeted a prank about her mixed heritage and the question “What race may I be?”. After posting promotional images from her Dragun Cosmetics range, she was called out for blackfishing once more in 2021.
There have also been past feuds with other influencers before the new spat with Taylor Caniff.
She faced condemnation for speaking out in favor of YouTuber and makeup influencer James Charles in 2019, following beauty YouTuber Tati Westbrook’s controversial “Bye Sister” video, and feuding with former Hype House member Daisy Keech—who was on vacation with Dragun’s ex-boyfriend.
Another row erupted on Twitter in 2021 after Trisha Paytas, a singer and YouTuber, made fun of Dragun’s Snapchat series.
Dragun was also accused of attending a party while the pandemic was occurring and of violating COVID-19 restrictions by not wearing a mask.
