YouTube personality and podcaster Tana Mongeau has made waves in the creator space with off-the-cuff remarks about fellow social media star Cody Ko having sex with her during a video collaboration when she was 17. and he 25.
In a live recording of her podcast Canceled before a Sacramento audience in late May, Mongeau tackled a “hot seat” segment, answering a barrage of questions as quickly and honestly as possible. She revealed her least favorite city of the tour (New Orleans), talked about doing a collaboration with the brand to promote a handy Juul charger that could connect to a smartphone, and claimed that rapper Tyga is the most famous person she's dated has he ever slept. But it was an even more immature investigation that led to shock and scandalous reactions. Asked about the “smallest dick” she's ever had sex with, she replied: “Oh my god, nobody's looking at me. Cody Co.” As the room erupted in screams, she added: “I can say it, I was literally 17 years old.” (In California, where Ko has lived since 2015, the age of consent is 18.)
While the tour had a policy against phone use and recordings during performances, footage of the conversation still found its way onto TikTok and other social platforms, where it quickly spread, leading to condemnations of Ko as well as character and character attacks. credibility of Mongeau. A representative for Ko did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Mongeau's allegation, while a representative for Mongeau said she had no further comment.
The pair were rumored to have slept together when Mongeau was a minor circulated for yearsbut that on-stage allusion to an inappropriate relationship led Ko's fans to demand that the comedian, podcaster and rapper — who married YouTuber Kelsey Kreppel last year, with the couple they become parents in January — make a statement by recognizing Mongeau's story. Weeks after it first started circulating, it has yet to address the issue.
Mongeau, meanwhile, recently tried to sort out her feelings about what happened between them nearly a decade ago. “To be 100 percent honest, when I look back at Cody's situation, I definitely go, 'Why did he do that?'” he said in an episode of the show. Canceled last weekend. He recalled an event in which singer and influencer Gabbie Hanna pulled Ko aside and told him Mongeau was only 17, but the two left and connected anyway. “I can look at it and say, 'Why the hell did you do that?' he said.
“But I don't connect it or hold it to trauma,” explained Mongeau, who turned 26 on Monday, “because I'm such a comparative person, where I'm at, so much worse has happened to me. And that's bad. But I honestly feel that way.” She went on to describe how she grew up loving Ko's content and was a fan excited to spend time with him. “And I understand where now, as an adult, you can say: You were taken advantage of.”
Last week Mongeau was also a guest Just Trish, friend Trisha Paytas' podcast, and discussed her past with Ko, which she again stressed was not traumatic for her. However, he said, “if I had a 17-year-old daughter or a little sister” in the same situation, “I would kill.”
“But what was really heartbreaking for me and kind of crazy for me, is after it started going viral, seeing so many people not believe me,” Mongeau continued. “Being like, 'It's Tana, so who cares.' And then I started to feel bad for so many other girls who maybe look up to me and want to speak their truth and see the way people just don't believe people.” Paytas and Mongeau agreed that they both tend to make light of darker moments in their lives as a way to cope. “You want to feel like you're in control of your own narrative,” Mongeau said.
Ko fans on the dedicated subreddit r/code have been divided over the claim, with some doubting Mongeau's account and others arguing that she was a victim. “Mostly sad for her,” reads one recent comment. “I hope he makes a private apology.” In a top-trending thread, another redditor asked for YouTube alternatives to Ko and his Tiny Meat Gang Studios podcast network. “In light of the situations with Cody's past, it's hard for me to look at him the same way,” He wrote. “I really enjoyed watching content like his. Any suggestions for YouTubers with content similar to his?'
In another subreddit, r/CodyKoUnfiltered, a forum meant to be a refuge from the “censorship” of r/codyko, Ko's criticism was much more vocal, with users complaining of being banned from the main subreddit for bringing up Mongeau. “Putting aside whether it happened or not, the fact [Ko is] To not even deal with all of this was extremely annoying,” wrote one frustrated person. “It's pure ignorance. I've been a fan of Cody for the longest time, but I really can't bring myself to watch his videos anymore.”
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