Major Controversies Surrounding PewDiePie: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around PewDiePie—discover key moments of controversy.

Felix Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber renowned for his gaming content. His rise on YouTube and significant media attention have established him as a prominent online personality and content creator. He is considered a key figure on YouTube, especially within the gaming community.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

October 2012: Addressing Controversy over Rape Jokes

In October 2012, PewDiePie addressed criticism and controversy surrounding his use of rape jokes in his videos through a Tumblr post, stating he would no longer make such jokes and apologizing if he had hurt anyone.

December 2016: Frustration with YouTube's Subscriber and View Issues and Milestone Threat

In December 2016, PewDiePie uploaded a video discussing his frustration with YouTube accounts experiencing subscriber and view losses. He threatened to delete his channel upon reaching 50 million subscribers, a milestone he achieved on December 8th. He received a custom Play Button from YouTube, but ultimately deleted a smaller channel instead, with his threat possibly a promotional stunt for Scare PewDiePie.

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2016: Addressing Content Creator Viewership Issues

Throughout 2016 and early 2017, PewDiePie addressed negative effects on content creator viewership caused by YouTube's new algorithm. He created videos requesting viewers to achieve engagement milestones, with one video accumulating over 5 million dislikes before YouTube made such figures private in November 2021.

January 2017: Controversy Over Antisemitic Content and Subsequent Fallout

In a video posted in January 2017, PewDiePie featured individuals holding a sign reading "Death to all Jews" on Fiverr. The Wall Street Journal reported on this and other instances of antisemitic content in his videos. The controversy led to media backlash, the termination of his partnership with Maker Studios, and the cancellation of the second season of Scare PewDiePie by Google.

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June 2017: Forbes Includes PewDiePie in "Top Influencers" List

In June 2017, Forbes included PewDiePie in the gaming category of their "Top Influencers" list, despite citing that his brand suffered earlier in the year due to antisemitic content.

2017: PewDiePie as Symbolic Figure After Wall Street Journal Article

In 2017, Abby Ohlheiser of The Washington Post stated PewDiePie "became a symbolic figure" in relation to the online culture war around "political correctness" following the Wall Street Journal article.

2017: Controversy and Media Scrutiny

In 2017, PewDiePie's content became more controversial due to allegations of antisemitic themes, leading to increased media scrutiny and business partnerships being severed.

2017: Addressing Content Creator Viewership Issues

July 2018: Criticism of PewDiePie's Fan Base

In July 2018, Wired published an article referring to PewDiePie's fan base as "toxic", citing that they've stuck with him despite controversial content.

December 2018: Controversy over Promoting a Channel with Racist and Anti-Semitic Content

In December 2018, PewDiePie promoted a small content creator named "E;R", but after online criticism, it was discovered E;R's channel contained racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic content, including imagery of the Charlottesville car attack. PewDiePie revoked his recommendation and removed the reference from his video.

2018: The Guardian Discusses PewDiePie's Media Coverage

In 2018, Paul MacInnes of The Guardian noted that PewDiePie's content was rarely written about in mainstream media, only breaking through as a result of novelty or scandal. MacInnes added that PewDiePie shares much of the culture of the alt-right movement and amplifies it across the world.

April 2019: "Congratulations" and "Bitch Lasagna" were banned in India

In April 2019, the Delhi High Court in India issued an injunction in favor of T-Series, leading to the ban of PewDiePie's songs "Congratulations" and "Bitch Lasagna". The complaint stated the songs were defamatory and racist. Although a settlement was reached later, the videos remained blocked in India.

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June 2019: Controversy Surrounding Promotion of the Nimses App

In June 2019, PewDiePie promoted the social media app Nimses in a sponsored video, leading to controversy due to the app's privacy settings and concerns about it being a pyramid scheme. Critics warned about promoting a potentially harmful app to a large audience.

September 2019: Donation to ADL and Subsequent Withdrawal

In September 2019, PewDiePie announced a $50,000 donation to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to celebrate receiving his 100 million subscribers Play Button. Due to criticism from his fanbase, he withdrew the donation, stating he would choose an organization he was passionate about.

October 2019: PewDiePie's Content Censored in China After Meme Review Episode

In October 2019, PewDiePie uploaded a Meme Review episode reacting to memes about the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the China–NBA controversy, the Blitzchung controversy, and comparing Xi Jinping to Winnie-the-Pooh. As a result, his channel and content were reportedly censored in China.

2019: PewDiePie's Behavior Following Christchurch Shooting

Following the 2019 Christchurch shooting, Abby Ohlheiser of The Washington Post stated PewDiePie's "behavior has suggested that he more deeply understands the war he began fighting two years ago".

2019: Pew News Episode on Pulwama Attack and Criticism

In March 2019, PewDiePie mentioned the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack in an episode of Pew News, criticizing T-Series for removing songs by Pakistani artists. He faced criticism for his comments on the heightened tension between Pakistan and India.

2020: Brief YouTube Break and COVID-19 Jokes Controversy

Near the end of 2019, PewDiePie announced a break from YouTube, which lasted a little over a month into early 2020. Upon his return, he made jokes about the COVID-19 pandemic and spoke in mock-Chinese phrases, leading to criticism. He defended his jokes in a subsequent video.

2020: PewDiePie's Popularity Despite Controversies

Shortly prior to his 2020 hiatus, Erin Nyren of Variety commented that PewDiePie's "popularity continues unabated in spite of—or perhaps because of—the fact that he has been the subject of ongoing controversies."

May 2024: Expresses discontent with YouTubers visiting Japan

In May 2024, PewDiePie voiced his frustration with the influx of YouTubers visiting Japan, creating what he described as "obnoxious" content for attention and "hate clicks."