Photo: YouTube
Yikes.
By Olivia Jakiel — Written on Feb 03, 2021
Conservative beauty influencer Amanda Ensing has found herself in some seriously hot water lately.
After posting a video sponsored by major makeup retailer Sephora and one of their external vendors, rewardStyle, on her YouTube channel that boasts over 1.4 million subscribers, social media users began calling the brand out for working with Ensing — who happens to be an outspoken Trump supporter.
“Absolutely DISGUSTED that @Sephora would support an unhinged, conspiracy peddling, covid denying white supremacist by sponsoring one of her videos. This woman has been posting hateful, racist, insane content for MONTHS on social media. There is no excuse #boycottsephora," one social media user tweeted.
Sephora reportedly asked Ensing to remove the video “hours after it was approved and posted,” and initially issued the following statement to an individual Instagram user who called out the brand for working with her:
“Thank you for reaching out and bringing this to our attention. We were made aware that Amanda Ensing, an influencer contracted through one of our external vendors’ campaigns, recently shared content on social media that is not aligned with Sephora’s values around inclusivity.
As soon as we were informed, we made the decision to cease all programming with Amanda and will not be engaging her for future partnerships.”
Some of the social media content Sephora is referring to likely has to do with Ensing’s tweets that seemingly support the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, where at least five people — including a police officer — died.
“The left: I hate it here. America is embarrassing. Only we can riot & loot. Defund the police. Just do what the government tells you & don’t ask questions,” she tweeted on Jan. 6, right around the time the riots took place. “The right: Let’s fight for freedom. We love the USA. Defend the Constitution. We support our Military & Law enforcement [American flag].”
Twitter users were quick to call Ensing out on the contents of her tweet, and upon seeing the aforementioned video sponsored by Sephora, social media users began to boycott the company.
Since news of her dissolved partnership with Sephora started making the rounds, Ensing’s been vocal on social media about the unfair treatment she claims she is receiving.
On Feb. 2, she retweeted a tweet from far-right political commentator Dinesh D’Souza, whose podcast she recently appeared on, that reads: “Sephora cut ties with influencer @AmandaEnsing because of her Christian and conservative beliefs. Ensing gives her side of the story, and says how she's fighting back #Sephora #Influencer.”
Should a public figure or influencer be canceled for showing their support for Donald Trump, though?
As suggested, it’s far more complicated than that.
Ensing seemingly has a history of putting out problematic content on her social media accounts. She’s been in public feuds with fellow influencers, including popular makeup artist Shayla.
Ensing has also been accused of “blackfishing” by Twitter users.
Another social media user detailed Ensing’s problematic behavior in a Twitter thread, writing:
“This narrative that Amanda Ensing is being ‘canceled’ for being a conservative is a joke. There are plenty of conservative influencers who are doing just fine.
The difference is Amanda supported and celebrated the terrorist attack on our capitol, attacked black women, liked Homophobic/racist comments on her socials, is spreading DANGEROUS debunked Qanon conspiracy theories.
When you CHOOSE to use your platform to spread Qanon propaganda, you choose your fate. You sealed your own destiny so don’t be shocked when brands no longer support you.”
She also supplied screenshots of her claims, which you can check out below.
Another Twitter user pointed out that Ensing also used her social media platform to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 virus, writing in a Dec. 2020 tweet: “Asymptomatic = healthy.”
Ensing issued a lengthy statement on Instagram about the drama, posting a fifteen-minute video on her profile.
In her video statement, Ensing claims that she was offered "a settlement" from Sephora in exchange for her being "silent."
A Sephora rep issued another statement in response to Amanda’s claims, telling Insider:
"Sephora has not had any direct contact with Amanda or her legal team. Her contract, including but not limited to terms of payment and disclosure protocols are all handled by rewardStyle, a partner of Sephora. We take this seriously and are working to ensure all future influencer outreach, content, and partnerships are subjected to tighter controls."
While the discussion about whether Ensing was "canceled" for being a pro-Trump conservative remains ongoing, the only thing we know for sure is that the situation is definitely not as cut-and-dry as it seems.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.