"You decided to go back, edit it out": PewDiePie accused of knowingly mocking deaf woman in latest reaction video

Felix "PewDiePie" has once again drawn the ire of many on the internet after recently posting a video where he allegedly mocked a dead woman for her appearance and usage of sign language. The YouTuber also sought to edit the contentious portion of his video after some backlash and was subsequently called out on TikTok for trying to avoid apologizing by removing his content:

"You decided to go back, edit it out and sweep it under the rug like nothing happened. Baby, it don't work like that over here."

In the now deleted section of the video, PewDiePie was reacting to TikToks with his dog. After watching a few seconds of the deaf woman signing, he stopped and went on to mock her long nails and the way she was gesticulating to use sign language.

Granted, the YouTuber has apologized under his video, but to many, this late admission of guilt and attempt to erase the problematic parts of the clip warrants scrutiny.

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PewDiePie apologizes after mocking a deaf woman on video

The alleged video titled 'My Dog Cringes at TikToks..' is one of PewDiePie's most famous reaction videos with his dog Maya. In the video, he watches funny TikTok videos and comments on them, sometimes from the perspective of the dog by modulating his voice and moving its hands.

While the portion has been edited out, clips of the incident were shared multiple times on social media, and PewDiePie initially blurred the deaf woman in his video. Later, he completely cut it out and posted a comment apologizing for his mistake:

"Hey, just to clear a few things up: I edited out the clip with the girl that has the long nails. Had no clue she was deaf, but kinda dumb of me to not realize.."

The YouTuber also wanted to ensure that people knew he was not being an ableist and only wanted to mock her long nails and TikTokers who dance weirdly on the platform:

"Still watching through the clip I only poked fun of her long nails. The voice I did for my dog is the same voice I've given her for years... Anyway honest mistake, my bad"

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The woman responds

The deaf woman PewDiePie allegedly denigrated in his video responded to his edits with another TikTok. The YouTuber had not yet posted his apology when the woman, named Scarlet May, called him out for removing the portions without issuing a proper acceptance of guilt to the deaf community:

"I also knew he knew because as soon as people called him out after posting it, he went back and removed my clip. He didn't remove it but put like a sound over it, so you couldn't see what he was saying about me." Which I feel like made the situation. You could have just addressed it like, "My bad, I didn't know she was signing. I just didn't like the nails." And we really would have been fine.""

May also reckoned that PewDiePie editing out the portions without a word suggests an attempt to suppress the news. According to her, this could exacerbate his offense towards deaf people:

"But no, you decided to go back and edit it out and sweep it under the rug like nothing happened."

Her point being that an honest apology would have made it way better, especially because so many in the deaf community are on the receiving end of such ridicule almost every day.

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Social media reactions to the incident

As always, Twitter became a battlefield with people from both sides of the debate arguing in a barrage of toxic comments. Most seemed to sympathize with the deaf woman:

This isn't the first time PewDiePie has been called racist. As many people brought it up, years ago, he went viral for saying the N-word on stream while playing PUBG. Regardless, his fans seem to believe his apology while there remain a fair few skeptics who think the incident should not have occurred.