Watched a canceled creator try a comeback for 3 years straight

I remember this YouTuber I used to follow. Got canceled hard back in 2020 for some really sketchy stuff. Deleted everything. Went silent. Then a year later they pop back up with an apology video. Then another one six months after that. Then a third one last summer. Each time they lose more subscribers. It's been 3 years and they still have less than half their original audience. They just can't let go. Anyone else follow someone who keeps trying to come back but it's just not working?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekjenkins1mo ago

My buddy tried the same thing after his brand deal drama in 2021. He posted one apology, then a second one a year later, then a third one on a podcast. None of them worked because people just remembered the original problem. He finally gave up after 2 years when his views dropped to under 500 per video. What finally worked for him was starting a brand new channel with a different name and a whole new topic. Nobody knew it was him and he built it back up from zero.

wilson.kelly28d ago

Does anyone actually think about the audience's psychology in this? Like, why do people keep watching the apology videos or listening to the podcast episodes if they already made up their mind? It feels like people watch just to confirm their own bias, not to actually forgive you. So by the third apology, you're basically feeding the negativity loop. That new channel idea makes total sense because you're not fighting against people's memories anymore, you're starting fresh with no baggage to trip over.