Why Is Trisha Paytas Quitting The Frenemies Podcast?
Huge news from the chaotic world of YouTubers: the extremely infamous and controversial influencer Trisha Paytas is quitting Frenemies, the podcast they co-host with Ethan Klein. The podcast is a huge success, and Trisha unexpectedly leaving has left the Internet in a state of shock.
With a video entitled ‘stepping down from frenemies’, Trisha Paytas announced the news that they’d be leaving the podcast due to conflicts with their co-host. The centre of the conflicts, they said, were about creative ownership over Frenemies, which couldn’t be resolved.
The argument came to light during a live airing of the latest episode of Frenemies, which became extremely heated and emotional. Trisha, holding back tears, asks to end the stream, saying “I really need to leave,” before walking off set.
Writer Kelsey Weekman broke down why this is such a big deal – here’s the headlines.
Why is Trisha Paytas leaving the Frenemies podcast?
The conflict during the latest episode of Frenemies was mainly around creative and financial control of the show. The argument became tense between the two hosts, and it seems that the issues brought up are the reason behind Trisha’s decision to leave for good.
During the last five minutes of the episode, Paytas expressed that they didn’t love the new ‘fan advice’ segment, calling it “lazy”. "A lazy podcast? You don't do anything for it," Klein responded. "You just show up, we do all the work."
The argument that ensued was about the strategic direction of the podcast, which Paytas feels they’re left out of. They commented that they "didn't get input" on hiring crew for the show, and questioned Klein's purchase of a Downtown Los Angeles studio to film in.
Klein responded, telling Paytas that they get a "generous" cut of the show's profits, and insinuated that they are the show's talent, not producer.
During the discussion, it was revealed that Klein and Paytas split the revenue from Frenemies down the middle – each taking home 45%, with the remaining amount given to crew and production cost. During Paytas’ video, they clarified that they were not upset about the pay split, but felt left out of the show’s decision making, despite the fact they earn the same as Klein.
So, why does this matter?
Frenemies is huge. It’s also one of the few popular podcasts that looks to hold problematic YouTubers to account for their actions.
In one popular episode of Frenemies, Paytas opened up about the abuse they faced when they were part of the Vlog Squad, a collective led by disgraced YouTuber David Dobrik. The podcast was thought to have played a key role in Dobrick’s downfall. The two also discussed the assault allegations against James Charles at length. All in all, the podcast kinda has a ‘YouTube vigilante’ vibe, despite Paytas being no stranger to controversy themself.
This isn’t the first time Trisha has quit the Frenemies podcast
Fans of the podcast may remember that early in the show’s history, Trisha Paytas left the show because they were upset with how Ethan was speaking to them. Comments about Trisha’s appearance were really the cornerstone of their frustrations, Kelsay reports.
“In the beginning, Trisha walked off the show crying because of harsh comments. Eventually, it became a platform for them to work on their relationship AND call out influencers like Shane Dawson, Jeffree Star, James Charles and David Dobrik. Played a huge role in their downfall,” Kelsey goes on to say.
Ethan responds to Trisha’s departure
It seems that Ethan is just as shocked as us. He responded to Trisha’s video on Twitter, claiming that the whole thing took him completely by surprise. “I am honestly gutted over this whole thing,” he wrote.
How does the internet feel about Trisha leaving the Frenemies podcast?
Like Ethan, it’s fair to say that the internet is… not coping well.
As one Twitter user pointed out, today is actually National Best Friends Day?! Oh, the irony.
Where can I watch Trisha Paytas’ Frenemies video?
Trisha has now released two videos on the Frenemies saga, both are below.
Words by Dani Leever, writer and homosexual pop culture enthusiast. Find their words at @danileever or catch their gay DJ drag adventures at @djgaydad.
