Photo: Instagram
She was 17 when they met.
By Sarah Gangraw — Written on Feb 12, 2019
YouTuber Brandon Calvillo recently came under fire when fans found out his girlfriend's age.
Calvillo, 24, is being criticized for his relationship with Lacey James, who was just 17 when they met and started "hanging out." In a recent and since-deleted video, Trisha Paytas’ claimed Cavillo knowingly dated an underaged girl, referring to James, an accusation that could have some serious consequences for the vlogger if true.
So who is Brandon Calvillo? Here is everything you need to know about him and his relationship with Lucy James.
1. They addressed their relationship in a recent video.
Calvillo and James addressed their questionable relationship in a recent video titled "The Truth About Our Relationship" to put the unsettling rumors that James was underage when they began dating to rest.
"We never thought we’d have to make this video, but there have been some rumors online about our relationship and they are really bad,” Calvillo shared in the clip on Friday. "So we just decided to ake this video to tell you guys the truth."
The pair had met on dating app Bumble and started talking and “hanging out” as friends, the pair claims. James was only 17 years old at this point, but since they were not dating, it didn't matter, she said.
"People have been blowing this thing completely out of proportion and I can understand why but with our story, it's OK," Calvillo said. "I’m 24 and you’re [James] about to turn 19, there’s no problem here. And that’s it.”
2. Calvillo claims he wasn't aware of James' age.
Calvillo and James met on the app Bumble. James' profile said she was 18 but in reality, she was only 17.
The third time Calvillo and James hung out, they were accompanied by the YouTuber's friend and fellow vlogger David Dobrik, who made a video about their time together that day. According to Calvillo, the friends began making jokes abouts sex, which led Calvillo to the realization that James was 17.
Dobrik posted the video and as Calvillo was scrolling through the comment section, a reply caught his eye.
"One of the first comments is from a girl that said she went to your [James'] school, like a long time ago," Calvillo said. "She said, 'I knew Lacy in school. She was born March 1, 2000. She is 17 years old.' And I read that and just went, 'Oh my God.'"
Calvillo said he immediately confronted James, who admitted to being 17. Calvillo said he "freaked out and didn't know what to do." They decided not to speak to one another until James turned 18, which happened to be in one week. Once James turned 18, the two began hanging out again as friends.
"Shortly thereafter we started seeing each other romantically and now we're in a loving realtionship," James said.
3. They lied about sleeping together for views.
In Dobrik's video "CRASHING MY BEST FRIENDS DATE WITH A GIRL!!" Dobrik accompanied Calvillo and James on a movie date. In the video, Calvillo said he and James had been seeing each other for about a month.
Dobrik asked James if Calvillo s good at sex, to which she replied, "Honestly, yeah."
The clip was posted on Feb. 23, which would mean the two were sleeping together before James turned 18 in March. But in their recent video addressing their relationship, both Calvillo and James claim they had not slept together at that point and were just friends.
3. He started out on Vine.
Calvillo's career began on Vine, a platform where users posted 6-second videos that has since died. He grew his following on the app and, although the app was canceled in 2016, Calvillo remains popular through his videos on YouTube.
He has over 310,000 subscribers on YouTube and 1.5 million followers on Instagram. His latest video where he talks about his relationship with James has been viewed over 2.1 million times.
Calvillo's net worth is $1 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
4. His friends list consists of many other former Viners.
Besides Dobrik, Calvillo's friend group consists of ex-Viners, many of whom are YouTubers now. Among those featured as friends in his videos are Jason Nash, Nash Grier, King Bach, Vincent Marcus and actor Josh Peck.
5. He doesn't identify with a sexual orientation.
In 2016, Calvillo addressed rumors that he is gay by saying he does not identify with any specific sexual orientation.
"I don't consider myself gay, straight or even bisexual. Once you start to categorize feelings, you lose what it means to be human," he tweeted.
6. He starred in a movie and has appeared in many short films.
Calvillo starred in the 2016 film "FML" alongside his BFF Jason Nash as well as the movie "Malignant" (2018).
He is also known for his roles in short films "Dog," "Chris and Anthony," "New Years Eve," "First Date," "Fling," "The Conspiracy Part II," and Wild Nothing. Calvillo also wrote, produced, and directed the shorts "The Last Job," "Dog," "Chris and Anthony," "New Years Eve," "First Date," "Fling," "The Conspiracy Part II," and "Wild Nothing," according to his profile on IMDb.
Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.