Profiting off lies
Internet personality Trisha Paytas embodies the word infamous. The celebrity seems to show up in new entertainment gossip every week, but never for the right reasons. While some idols rightfully use their platform and audience to spread awareness about political and environmental issues, Peytas seems to only exploit her influence to garner sympathy through outrageous lies and stories, perpetuating a toxic culture of lying for fame.
The 31-year-old Riverside native began posting videos on YouTube in 2006 as well as appearing on multiple television shows. Paytas slowly gained popularity and now has amassed more than 4 million YouTube subscribers. Since her initial videos, the celebrity has been unable to escape multiple controversies.
Her most recent scandal regards her gender identity. In the now deleted video, Paytas came out as transgender, identifying herself as a male. YouTube has been a platform for many in the LGBTQ+ community to discuss their identity and make similar videos; however, Paytas’s announcement has been viewed as questionable.
She stated she wanted to be identified as a male and never felt comfortable with the pronouns “she” or “her,” but in another interview she said “I 1,000 percent identifty with the gender I was born with.”
When asked why she would not undergo a full body transition as many in the trans community do, she stated that her body was her source of income and provided her with a sense of identity, contradicting her claim that she has gender dysmorphia.
Although Paytas tried to refute audiences’ attacks on her using the video for sales and attention, by saying that her video was not monetized, it was revealed that she earned $8,000 from the one video alone, before it was deleted on YouTube. Her lies have only made others more suspicious of the validity of her gender identification.
Paytas also has an alleged wedding coming up next week, but many believe this is just another lie. While on the H3 podcast, Paytas claimed she was marrying a straight male, which contradicts her gender identity and her own statement that she “is attracted and always has been to gay men.”
Although some may dismiss Paytas’s outlandish claims because she seems to be perpetually wrapped in controversy, it is wrong to not hold her, or any other celebrity, accountable for their words. She profits off of the traumatic hardships of others who identify as transgender. Paytas should not be allowed to prey on a marginalized group in society without any repercussions.
This statement also applies to the myriad of other internet influencers who have been using their fame and platform to make outrageous, and most times false, statements about their lives. Celebrities have a social responsibility to not mislead the public simply for publicity.
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