On Sunday night, Shane Dawson — popular YouTuber, edgelord humorist, and wannabe InfoWars commentator — set the internet ablaze for something unrelated to his "investigations" into the lives of other controversial YouTubers. And weirdly enough, it involves an allegation that he sexually abused his cat, Cheeto, per Refinery29.
Unfortunately, you read that right. Over the weekend, audio from a now-deleted episode of his podcast, Shane And Friends,began circulating on Twitter. In the clip, you can hear Dawson talking about his "first sexual experience" with his cat and claimed to have "moved her little chicken legs spread open or whatever" before he "came all over the cat."
I found the audio!! Shane Dawson came on his cat! WTF!!!!! This was on his podcast pic.twitter.com/6slFQRxIeE
— Sandwich Ruler (@magician_dragon) March 17, 2019
Naturally, people weren't happy, with many criticizing his comments as "disgusting" and "nasty." But Dawson was quick to follow up with a vehement denial via Twitter — chalking it up to his past penchant for shock jock jokes and antics. "Ive never done anything weird with my cats," he writes in one tweet before adding, "that story was fake and was based on a dumb awful sketch idea I had years ago that i never made."
i didnt fuck my cat. i didnt cum on my cat. i didnt put my dick anywhere near my cat. Ive never done anything weird with my cats. I promised myself i wasnt going to make apology videos after last years thing so im just trying to be as short and honest with this as possible. (1/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
ive apologized many times for all the dumb shit ive said in videos and podcasts over the years. ive learned my lesson over and over again and im more confident now in my ability to be entertaining by just being myself and not being so shocking for laughs.(2/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
that story was fake and was based on a dumb awful sketch idea I had years ago that i never made (THANK GOD) and when the opportunity came up for a funny moment in the podcast I told it as if it was a real story which was DISGUSTING and VERY VERY DUMB (3/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
my goal with the podcast and with my videos years ago was to tell shocking stories that would make people laugh and scream "OMG NO U DIDNT!!" and think i was "soooo crazy". its embarrassing and i fucking hate myself for it. (4/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
now that im making stuff i love and im being myself it feels so much better and i finally feel like im putting stuff out into the world that means something. im not saying i hate everything ive made over the years (5/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
theres so many things im so proud of. but all of my offensive jokes, over the top stories, and insensitive jokes are something that still haunt me and something I have to be faced with everyday on the internet. and it never gets easier. (6/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
so im sorry for what i said about my cat, im sorry for what i said about anything or anyone that was offensive, and im sorry for being someone who thought being super offensive and shocking all the time was funny. im sorry for my past. but im really to make it right and (7/?)
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
i feel like without my past i wouldnt be who I am today and i wouldnt be able to grow & spend my energy on things that actually mean something. this has been the best 2 years of my life & its because ive been able to drop the act & be myself. and im sorry for not doing it sooner
— Shane Dawson (@shanedawson) March 18, 2019
However, that didn't stop critics from reminding the internet of other unsavory comments Dawson has made in the past. Apart from reminders of his infamous blackface sketches, others brought up last year's pedophile joke controversy, in which Dawson came under fire for comments about "sexy" naked babies. In his most recent string of tweets, Dawson even alludes to the incident in his first tweet, writing, "I promised myself i wasnt going to make apology videos after last years thing so im just trying to be as short and honest with this as possible."
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And though he had his defenders — including other YouTubers and colleagues — Dawson's apology tweets did nothing to curb the spread of further criticism and more jokes about his cat.
me to shane dawson's cat: pic.twitter.com/aPVKkXhLei
— fab (@NickBelliveau) March 18, 2019
is this not everyone canceling shane dawson pic.twitter.com/JZc7tVzSZ8
— Harshal (@iHarshalWatts) March 18, 2019
Not to mention some crossover tweets involving J.K. Rowling. As well as a few furry-related tweets.
no one:
— courtney (@kourtneycing) March 18, 2019
jk rowling: mcgonagall would frequently take her cat form to have intense sex with shane dawson
woulda been much easier for shane dawson to just be a furry
— wuss poppin jimbo (@BillRatchet) March 18, 2019
I can’t stop laughing at this.
— E-Bone 🤠🏳️🌈 (@EbonyEbawnEbone) March 18, 2019
SHANE DAWSON IS A FURRY https://t.co/NKWAQkTdiL
Time to log off.
Photo via Getty