We all had those comfort YouTubers growing up. Call us chronically online all you want, but there was a time on the internet when seeing a new video from your favorite YouTuber was basically like Christmas had come early — especially if you watched Jenna Marbles.
Don’t get me wrong — there were plenty of YouTubers who provided us with amazing content in the early 2010s, but something about Jenna’s videos had us coming back for more. She managed to gather an audience that connected through inside jokes, weird humor, and lots of odd-looking dog outfits. Generally, the entire SMOSH, Jenna, and Julien Solomita ensemble were just comfort sources of comedy at the time. We may be getting the OG Smosh crew back, but Jenna Marbles has completely disappeared from the Earth’s surface, and here’s why.
Why did Jenna Marbles leave YouTube?
Jenna retired from YouTube in 2020 following backlash stemming from controversial content in her old videos. In her last video, the YouTuber announced her indefinite hiatus and eventual retirement from YouTube, as she apologized for her past videos where she did blackface, made racist jokes, slut-shamed, and was generally misogynistic — all words used by her.
This apology was prompted by several users on social media bringing up old videos of several YouTubers, calling them out on their past actions and demanding apologies. YouTubers like Shane Dawson, Jeffree Star, and PewDiePie were also among the creators who had their old videos exposed for racism, homophobia, misogyny, ableism, etc.
Unlike the aforementioned names, though, Jenna Mourey — her real name — opted to leave YouTube altogether after her apology. On top of her hiatus, she also deleted some of her old videos and privated others that were considered offensive by many users. Despite this, Jenna’s retirement was probably one of the most shocking moments on YouTube, with several fans angry that she was undeserving of the hate and was practically forced to leave the platform due to backlash — despite admitting that accountability matters.
Where is Jenna Marbles now?
Even if we may not have any new videos to watch, Jenna’s online presence hasn’t completely ceased. Whether it may be through Julien or any other source, we know bits and pieces of her life. We know, for instance, that she and Julien got married in 2022, and that in 2023, news that her house was broken into by a stalker flooded social media.
Despite this frightening situation, Jenna and Julien were safe, and even if we wish for more updates, we can assume and most of all, hope that they are happy, away from the prying eyes of online vultures. As Morgan Adams put it, we’re all happy that Jenna Marbles is choosing her own safety and happiness — but boy, do we miss her.
