Adam Blampied: YouTube star apologises for ‘manipulating’ women

Blogger asked his followers not to 'attack' women who had spoken out about his behaviour

Adam Blampied has apologised for his behaviour towards women (What Culture/YouTube)

A prominent YouTube blogger has apologised for "manipulating" women into sending him images of themselves to him on social media.

Adam Blampied, a former What Culture employee, presented videos for the site on YouTube until September 2017, when he left the organisation.

In a statement issued on 27 October, he said he was "so sorry" to "everyone I've hurt".

He apologised to the women he repeatedly messaged and asked to "send me videos of themselves".

"I have falsely claimed to several women via social media that I was in an open relationship with my girlfriend as a means to repeatedly message them and encourage them to send me images of themselves," he wrote.

"I didn't make threats or offer perks in exchange, but I exploited my growing public position and often my friendships with these women, all to fuel my ego. By manipulating them in this manner, and acting completely inconsiderately of their feelings as I asked for these pictures, I have violated their trust and my girlfriend's trust.

"Rather than being a feminist and ally, I have been selfish and misogynistic in my disregard of those I considered to be my friends. This is hypocritical, pathetic and unacceptable behaviour, which is why I'm choosing to make this a public statement, in order to pledge to become a better man and, hopefully, encouraging the young men who follow me not to emulate my behaviour."

Around 10 minutes after the video was released, an individual accused Blampied of asking her to "send him nudes".

What Culture director Peter Willis told the BBC that Blampied's departure was "not linked to the series of Twitter messages that were published [on 25 October] nor were we aware of any of the events within those tweets until reading Adam's own statement.

"What Culture categorically condemns all sexual harassment, predatory behaviour and abuses of position and power."

An individual on Twitter alleged that he asked her for nude images and called him a "manipulative sexual predator".

"Knowing that I was 19, drunk, sexually inexperienced and had moral objections to sending him nudes, he continued to try to persuade me," they posted. "In the end, I relented.

"He was charming, he was the face of a YouTube channel and I'd been a fan of him for a while. He made me feel so good about myself for about six hours, then he made me feel like utter s**t for months."

Blampied has since posted on Twitter asking his followers: "Please don't attack the women for speaking out. They have been hurt, by me.

"Please don't publicly leap to my defence on this. My behaviour doesn't warrant it. The purport os this was not to excuse myself, but because it's what the women deserve, for the wider public to see my behaviour.

"Please be kind and understanding to the women. More than I was."

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