Influencer Taylor Caniff has published an official response after his transphobic comments about YouTube star Nikita Dragun sparked outrage on social media.

Nikita Dragun is one of YouTube’s most celebrated transgender content creators. Known best for her humorous content and her work in the beauty scene, Nikita also gained notoriety for being open with her fanbase about her transition in several popular videos.

Despite her general popularity and groundbreaking content on YouTube, Nikita has been the brunt of transphobia multiple times throughout her career — and this latest incident has sparked outrage on the internet.

On June 15, a video from influencer Taylor Caniff circulated online, showing him making transphobic remarks against Dragun and claiming he’d outed her to several security guards at a venue they were both attending.

The video went viral on Twitter, prompting Caniff to respond. At first, it seemed like he was unbothered by the criticism, posting a clip of himself fake crying to the song “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter.

THIS SHOULD’VE STAYED IN YOUR DRAFTS: Taylor Caniff responds to being exposed for making transphobic comments about Nikita Dragun on stories posted to “close friends” by sharing a video of himself pretending to cry while listening to the song “Bad Day.” pic.twitter.com/ya2271Jo6X

— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) June 15, 2021

Later, Caniff uploaded a second video, claiming that some of his close “clout-ridden” friends were responsible for leaking the transphobic clip and that it had merely been a “joke” he’d meant to share with 140 people.

2ND HAND EMBARRASSMENT: Taylor Caniff does live addressing the transphobic comments he made about Nikita Dragun. Taylor blames people in his “close friends” for leaking the footage, and later says he reached out to Nikita to apologize. pic.twitter.com/jX26axd1PS

— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) June 15, 2021

Dragun was quick to respond to the situation via Twitter, reminding those involved of the very real danger she faces as a trans woman in her day-to-day life.

“I fear even being around a man as a trans woman,” she wrote. “Let alone date one publicly. His life is now at risk for being involved with a trans woman. It’s so sad.”

i fear even being around a man as a trans woman. let alone date one publicly. his life now is at risk for being involved with a trans woman. it’s so sad.

— Nikita Dragun (@NikitaDragun) June 15, 2021

However, Caniff didn’t seem to take too kindly to one of her response, writing, “You want me to leak some real info? Nah, you been doing this [since] 2015? You would hate that, you change to trending seasons. Keep changing for clout. I speak FACTS. What I said was facts.”

You want me to leak some real info nah you been doing this 2015?! You would hate that, you change to trending seasons ….Keep changing for clout. I speak FACTS. What I said was facts. https://t.co/8HFOnKgcrr

— Taylor Caniff (@taylorcaniff) June 15, 2021

Since then, footage of Tana Mongeau alleging that Caniff was transphobic from three years ago has also surfaced online, further sparking outrage against an influencer who is decidedly not in the internet’s good graces.

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