Who Is Nikita Dragun? New Details On The YouTube Makeup Artist Who Defended James Charles In The Tati Westbrook Feud
She's thrown herself into the drama.
Instagram This James Charles/Tati Westbrook YouTube feud is next level, y'all. It is messy. It is ugly. It is dividing YouTubers, celebrities, Twitter and anyone else who has paid any attention to the drama. Now makeup artist and beauty vlogger Nikita Dragun is inserting herself into the fray by coming to the defense of James Charles. To recap, Tati is a 37-year-old influencer and James is her 19-year-old protege. He apparently promoted a competing beauty line to Tati's on his Instagram Stories and the gauntlet was thrown down. There are plenty of articles on the James Charles/Taiti Westbrook feud out there — this isn't one of them. This is about transgendered beauty v-logger Nikita Dragun. Who is Nikita Dragun?
1. She knew she was a girl in preschool
Nikita Dragun was born in 1996 and grew up in Virginia. When Nikita Dragun was in preschool she realized she was different. She told Forbes: “I never wanted to nap. I was always mature for my age. I wanted to put on a dress and look cute. Everyone else can nap, but I’m going to be a princess over here! But one day a teacher came over and asked why I was dressing up like this and then she called my parents.” After her teachers called her parents, she stopped wearing dresses and acting like a girl. She shut down. She said: “I knew I was different and there were certain things that I couldn’t show or I’d be bullied or teased.”
2. It got better in high school
When Nikita got to high school things got a bit easier. She couldn't hide who she was anymore. She said: “I was just the most feminine gay guy out there, so I would dress in tight jeans, lashes, a little purse, etc. People just accepted me. But it wasn’t until college that I really started to develop my trans identity.” Nikita was accepted to NYU and awarded a full scholarship but she turned it down and stayed home and went to community college instead. She needed some time to figure things out.
3. Nicole, the FIDM student
Once she decided to forego NYU, Nikita got a fake ID and changed her name to Nicole. She started experimenting with clothes and found out she could easily pass as a woman. She started posting on IG as a woman. She started her YouTube channel and then the brand deals started rolling in. She said: “I started to get little brand deals around that time. Even getting free makeup was amazing! I would get paid $10 or $20, and I was so excited! I made it! But I decided I wanted to start a new life in Los Angeles, so I got accepted to FIDM for a degree in business and marketing for cosmetics. I’ve always been obsessed with marketing and media. I always wanted to be a business brand owner. I wanted to create things. That was also when I decided to start taking Instagram and YouTube seriously.”
4. Open about her transformation
Nikita's Instagram and YouTube started taking off because she was open and honest about her transformation from a man to a woman. For the first six months, she didn't tell anyone she was transgender. She said: Then, I started being honest and documented my journey. It was really out of frustration. I wanted to transition, and I had all these questions, and couldn’t find answers anywhere online. I think it’s important to educate. This year I want to show more."
5. She launched a makeup line
In March 2019, Nikita Dragun launched her makeup line Dragun Beauty. It completely sold out in 12 hours. Her line is one of the first makeup brands to be owned by a trans woman and it is an inclusive brand designed not just for transgender people but for everyone.
6. Her role in the Charles/Westbrook feud
Nikita got involved in the James Charles/Tati Westbrook feud when she posted screenshots of text messages allegedly between her and James on her Twitter account. She captioned the post: "heard a situation needed some clarification my friend was in an emergency and texted me in the moment ... unfortunately since @dragunbeauty used all of our marketing budget on the fantasy, i connected him with sugar bear. nothing shady." The Twitterverse was not having it and accused Nikita of faking the texts.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.