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Vine star Matthew Espinosa under fire for debuting blackface character at VidCon

He's facing criticism for his actions, but insists he's a 'good person.'

 

Rae Votta

Streaming

Posted on Jul 26, 2015   Updated on May 28, 2021, 7:06 am CDT

Matthew Espinosa, a Vine personality with 5.7 million subscribers, showed up at VidCon this weekend dressed in what many are calling blackface, and caused a chase on the convention floor before coming under fire for his actions online.

Espinosa tweeted to his 3.1 million Twitter followers that his “uncle” would be attending VidCon, and linked to a new profile for someone named “Papa Squat.” 

On Friday afternoon, Papa Squat made an appearance at the convention, flanked by large bodyguards and followed by film-style cameras. He was outfitted in an afro wig, face paint that made Espinosa’s complexion appear darker, a sweater vest, and a gold chain. Fans mobbed him as he walked the convention floor, with several attendees running after the crowd even though they told the Daily Dot they had no idea who they were following.

https://twitter.com/psychoticmatt/status/624702777957068800

Espinosa began posting Papa Squat images a week ago on Instagram, where the character already has more than 4,000 followers, and his fanbase debated whether or not the portrayal could be construed as blackface. Fans also called him out on Twitter for the costume.

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https://twitter.com/blckquality/status/625331594409156608

Espinosa did tweet at fans about the blackface accusations, but has since deleted the tweet. He claimed his uncle was “from Ohio.”

https://twitter.com/iStanForLegends/status/625014138260074496

Matt Espinosa/Twitter

He did leave up tweets where he said he knows he’s “a good person” and wants to make a difference in the world.

Espinosa is not the only Vine star to cause uproar at the festival. Carter Reynolds, whose sex tape leaked last month, was banned from VidCon and the hotels surrounding it this weekend. Teens who met the star took pointed photos with him, threw up middle fingers, and shouted, “Fuck you, Carter,” while he snapped photos with other fans. Hank Green, VidCon’s founder, said he was not invited and had him removed.

https://twitter.com/jessicaxjasmin/status/624487148813578240

Espinosa is now planning his fall tour, presented by DigiTour, called the Creative Collab Tour, which kicks off Sept. 29 in Florida.

Image via themattespinosa and papasquatog/Instagram

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*First Published: Jul 26, 2015, 3:00 pm CDT