James Charles in hiding after fallout from YouTube feud

James Charles has reportedly gone into hiding after a bitter online feud saw him lose more than 2.5 million followers in less than a week.

The beauty guru’s woes began when his ex-mentor Tati Westbrook released a scathing 41-minute video which exposed his indiscretions during their friendship.

Widespread backlash followed, and many of 19-year-old James’ teenage followers turned on him as his alleged behaviour came to the surface.

Los Angeles-based James was last seen publicly during a meet and greet at the Gold Coast’s Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on Saturday and is potentially still Down Under.

“It's like he has just disappeared and gone into hiding. There's a huge price on his head for any photos right now,” a source told the Daily Mail.

James’ only public response to the controversy that’s engulfed his career was an eight-minute, teary-eyed apology video which somehow worsened the backlash.

“I hate knowing that I disappointed not only (my fans), but two people that have been role models for me doing this,” he said in reference to Tati and her husband James.

“What sucks the most is that I know there’s nothing I can say or do to ever earn that friendship or trust back but I don’t blame them for it.”

Many fans of the vlogger have since recorded themselves burning his eponymous eyeshadow palette, in a bid to distance themselves from their former beauty idol.

However, it’s not his first career misstep having previously conjured up controversy for making light of the Ebola epidemic and allegedly editing the post that first made him famous.

Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.