Understanding the Onlyjayus Controversy: Key Facts and Insights

OnlyJayus has garnered a reputation for being a contentious figure within the content creation community. Recent allegations of content plagiarism suggest that despite their 2021 promises for improvement, they may not have changed.

Isabella Avila, known as Jayus, first rose to fame on TikTok by sharing intriguing trivia across various subjects. However, unrest within the community began when she publicly criticized an unnamed TikTok creator for allegedly imitating her video content. This creator, identified as @thejonathanmoss, was believed by Isabella to have appropriated her video material.

Back in a now-deleted tweet from 2020, Isabella stated, “TikTok creators need accountability for copying the original content of others.” This remark was aimed at Jonathan Moss, who posted a video featuring the same information Isabella had shared previously. Both creators referenced data from an article from Business Insider. Notably, Isabella did not issue an apology for using the information without attribution, standing firm in her belief that it constituted fair use. Furthermore, she did not take back her comments regarding Jonathan Moss.

Exposed for Offensive Language

While her typical content might not spark controversy, TikTok user @freekdagemini, unearthed some alarming messages from Isabella dating back to 2016. In these communications, she referred to someone using the derogatory term “n-word loving a-hole” among other homophobic epithets. Additionally, she expressed a wish for the individual’s parents to contract cancer. Following this revelation, Isabella faced backlash from her followers, leading to the loss of multiple partnerships, including Netflix, who distanced themselves from her following the resurfacing of these comments.

Hi @netflix, why are you funding someone who refers to individuals as “[n word] lovers” to host a podcast? Is this an appropriate way to honor Black History Month? pic.twitter.com/usUH4ZqOtS

— Arlen Parsa (@arlenparsa) February 13, 2021

Overnight, Isabella became a target of public disdain due to these revelations. Compounding the situation was a petition calling for her expulsion from TikTok, which amassed over 447,000 signatures. Isabella posted a vague apology via TikTok, but many Black content creators questioned its genuineness, suggesting she was merely responding to being exposed. Numerous TikTok users insisted her apology stemmed from self-preservation rather than sincere remorse.

@onlyjayus
I understand how frustrating it has been for me to take this long to address things. Instead of reacting as I usually do, I aimed to better myself and reflect.

♬ original sound – Bella Rose

Although not all were willing to forgive, some creators within the Black community expressed a desire to work with Isabella. However, she struggled to consistently engage with these creators, often attributing her lack of response to her ADHD diagnosis. Ultimately, she disappeared from communications and failed to collaborate as initially suggested.

Controversial Joke

Isabella seemed unable to escape controversy. After her prior racially and homophobically charged comments, she faced public ire again following a distasteful joke about pilfering wallets from those with service dogs. The timing of this joke was especially poor, given her recent history of backlash.

@faythegay
This was removed because they can’t handle being confronted on their harmful actions, but I refuse to let my voice or that of my community be suppressed.

♬ original sound – Fay

Rather than addressing the fallout from her comments, Isabella dismissed the criticism and avoided issuing any apology.

2024 Content Theft Allegations

Most recently, Isabella found herself accused of content theft once again, this time involving TikTok creator Everyday Alex. While Isabella claimed to have derived her video concept from Reddit, Alex countered that he did not plagiarize any material from the site. He further demonstrated that Isabella had fabricated the Reddit post to create the illusion that she had originally sourced her script there, which turned out to be false.