Michelle Grace/YouTubeA beauty influencer has come under fierce criticism after claiming she ‘beat the crap’ out of her two-year-old daughter after she ruined her make-up palette.
In a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, entitled ‘My Toddler Ruined My JSC Alien Palette|Now I’m sad…’, vlogger Michelle Grace revealed her young daughter had ruined two of her eye shadow palettes.
The little girl can be heard crying in the background as Michelle Grace, 23, told her subscribers that ‘my two-year-old just got her ass beat’, adding ‘no matter how many times I tell her not to mess with my makeup, she never f*cking listens’.
Michelle Grace/YouTubeIn the since-deleted video, Michelle Grace goes on to explain how much the expensive palettes meant to her, stating:
When you work your butt off for something, and you save up to buy something, it’s literally like a child. You treat it like a child.
Michelle Grace’s actual child, Arya, had previously ruined one James Charles x Morphe palette by spraying Windex on it. More recently, she had destroyed a Jeffree Star ‘Alien’ palette by smearing ranch sauce over the shades and on the mirror.
Michelle Grace – who claimed her hand hurt from beating the toddler – went on to say:
I know a lot of parents might not agree with me. But I don’t normally — I don’t normally spank my child, unless I really have to, and usually, it’s just a pop. And it barely hurts. She cries for like, five seconds.
You can watch part of the controversial video for yourself here:
Many people have been shocked and horrified at Michelle Grace for appearing to care more about her high end make-up than her young daughter. Some have even called for Child Protective Services to intervene in the situation.
One person tweeted:
My kid was throwing all kinds of shit at me (playfully, it was a game to her) and destroying the house when she was two. Know what I didn’t do? Hit her. Because why? SHE WAS TWO BUT ALSO EVEN IF SHE WAS 15 SHE DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED!!!!!!
Another tweeted:
Don’t hit/pop/spank your kid. There is never a reason to strike a child. Teaching them to fear you isn’t parenting. You’re normalizing violence. Stop. Learn and do better.
— Michelle Grace (@michellegraceh) February 29, 2020
Following the backlash, Michelle Grace has defended her actions via Twitter, sharing the following statement:
What I did should have never been done. I acted out of emotions and had a lapse in judgement. That being said, I’m truly sorry if it all came off the wrong way. It was [a] poor choice of words and I admit that.
A Change.org petition to have Michelle Grace removed from YouTube has since been set up by those outraged by her actions.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.