Why Did YouTube Spotlight A Scammer And An Accused Abuser At Its ...

The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Science Life Social Good Entertainment Deals Shopping Games Search Cancel
  • Search Result
The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Apps & Software Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Cryptocurrency Mobile Smart Home Social Media Tech Industry Transportation All Tech Science Space Climate Change Environment All Science Life Family & Parenting Health & Wellness Sex, Dating & Relationships Sleep Careers Mental Health All Life Social Good Activism Gender LGBTQ Racial Justice Sustainability Politics All Social Good Entertainment Games Movies Podcasts TV Shows Watch Guides All Entertainment SHOP THE BEST Laptops Budget Laptops Dating Apps Sexting Apps Hookup Apps VPNs Robot Vaccuums Robot Vaccum & Mop Headphones Speakers Kindles Gift Guides Mashable Choice Mashable Selects All Sex, Dating & Relationships All Laptops All Headphones All Robot Vacuums All VPN All Shopping Games Product Reviews Adult Friend Finder Bumble Premium Tinder Platinum Kindle Paperwhite PS5 vs PS5 Slim All Reviews All Shopping Deals Newsletters VIDEOS Mashable Shows All Videos On the left, a smiling McBroom, on the right, a smiling Johnson, These screenshots are cropped versions of larger photos that are embedded in the article. Austin McBroom and Johnson were highlighted by YouTube in a presentation to creators. Why? Credit: The YouTube channels of The ACE Family and Gus Johnson

In its effort to remain family-friendly and woo advertisers, YouTube has often struggled to please its vast, diverse community of creators. It seems that the brand's first-ever "Made on YouTube" event, held this morning, was an attempt to strengthen that relationship by showing creators how much YouTube cares about their work and revenue streams. Unfortunately, the event proved that they still have a ways to go.

The event opened with a montage of popular creators making their first YouTube videos, reaching subscriber milestones, and saying nice things about all the opportunities YouTube has given them.

SEE ALSO: YouTube Rewind is dead. Can Escape2021 take its place?

It featured all the usual suspects — squeaky-clean YouTube corporate favorites Mark Rober, Marques Brownlee, Simone Giertz, and Binging with Babish, artists Dua Lipa, Lizzo, and Conan Grey, the platform's highest-earning creator MrBeast, and streamers TommyInnit, Dream, and Valkyrae. But two very surprising faces were also included: the ACE Family's Austin McBroom and comedian Gus Johnson.

You May Also Like

It's hard to explain just how incredibly odd and wildly out of touch these choices are, because they both represent parts of the platform YouTube would rather pretend didn't exist.

A screenshot of Austin McBroom staring at a large television screen watching his subscriber count hit 2 million. A screenshot of a clip of Austin McBroom used during the Made on YouTube event. The cut is from an ACE Family video titled "2 MILLION ACE FAMILY MEMBERS!!!" posted in 2017. McBroom stares at a large television screen waiting for the channel's subscriber count to hit two million. Credit: YouTube / The ACE Family A screenshot of a Gus Johnson video. Johnson appears to be sitting, as you can only see him from the chest up. He is wearing a while baseball hat and a red shirt in front of a trellis of green plants behind him. A screenshot of a clip of Gus Johnson used during the Made on YouTube event. The cut is from a video posted in 2021 titled "thank you for 3 million! (Q&A too)" and Johnson is heard saying "That blows my mind, so thank you!" Credit: YouTube/ Gus Johnson

The ACE Family is notorious for a series of failed business ventures and scammy sales practices, and they've been loudly called out by the YouTube community since at least 2018. They're so well-known on the platform that anyone who has paid even a skosh of attention to YouTube in the past few years would be aware of their poor reputation.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

But, let's say you aren't on YouTube a whole lot. Simply Googling "the ACE family" brings up featured snippets with the questions like "what is the ACE Family controversy?" and "how much debt is the ACE Family in?" Just below that is a report from Insider on the family's shady business dealings.

A screenshot of the Google search results page for the ACE family, which includes a snippet asking "What is the ACE Family controversy?" and "How much debt is the ACE Family in?" Googling "the ACE family" brings up featured snippet with the questions "What is the ACE family controversy?" and "How much debt is the ACE Family in?" Credit: Google

Gus Johnson, meanwhile, was a popular creator until late last year when his ex-girlfriend Abelina Rios accused him of emotional abuse and neglect as she struggled with an ectopic pregnancy that almost killed her. Rios had been part of content on Johnson's channel between 2018 and 2020, and their videos together are still up on the channel. As Newsweek recapped, Johnson made an apology for his behavior, which Rios did not accept.

Johnson's channel has since taken a significant hit in subscriber count and viewership after Rio's went public with her side of the story. He's lost more than 350,000 subscribers since Rio's video was published. That makes it even weirder that YouTube highlighted him in a celebratory medley of creators.

A screenshot of two graphs from socialblade: Johnson's weekly subscribers and view counts gains. Both dip in October 2021, after Rio's video is published. Johnson's weekly subscribers and view counts gains, which dipped after his ex-girlfriend shared her story of emotional abuse in October 2021.. Credit: Socialblade

So, what the hell happened here?

It's no secret that YouTube is fighting a constant battle against its ignorance of its own platform. But to show their cards at this event, in particular, is embarrassing. It'd be one thing to feed McBroom and Johnson to advertisers who are more interested in a creator's shiny facade than the intricacies of their reputation in the YouTube community. But it's another thing entirely to highlight McBroom and Johnson at an event for creators, held specifically to convince creators that you understand them.

The choice proves just how out of touch YouTube remains when it comes to the issues in their community, and why an event like "Made on YouTube" might still fall flat for the very creators it's meant to serve.

Topics YouTube

Mashable Image Elizabeth de Luna Culture Reporter

Elizabeth is a digital culture reporter covering the internet's influence on self-expression, fashion, and fandom. Her work explores how technology shapes our identities, communities, and emotions. Before joining Mashable, Elizabeth spent six years in tech. Her reporting can be found in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, TIME, and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Instagram here.

Mashable Potato Recommended For You Why did YouTube unlist all of its past YouTube Rewind videos? What's going on here? 12/10/2025 By Matt Binder YouTube Rewind logo from 2018 YouTube Rewind logo from 2018 DoorDash nightmare as driver accused of spraying substance on food Some mistakes were made here. 12/16/2025 By Alex Perry Person holding a DoorDash bag on a flight of stairs Person holding a DoorDash bag on a flight of stairs YouTube will stop giving Billboard its music streaming data Streaming your fav's music video on YouTube won't help them climb the charts any more. 12/18/2025 By Amanda Yeo The YouTube logo appears on a smartphone screen with the YouTube logo in the background. The YouTube logo appears on a smartphone screen with the YouTube logo in the background. Apple TV Event: Trailers, season premiere dates and more 02/03/2026 By Shannon Connellan , Belen Edwards , and Eric Miller A collage of actors from several Apple shows and movies. A collage of actors from several Apple shows and movies. 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' trailer sees Josh O'Connor accused of an impossible crime Could this be the case that cracks Benoit Blanc? 11/17/2025 By Shannon Connellan Josh O'Connor is a priest in "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" Josh O'Connor is a priest in "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" More in Life When will 'Wicked: For Good' be streaming? What to know to watch it at home. All the details you need to know to watch the 'Wicked' conclusion at home. 3 hours ago By Christina Buff Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good' Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good' The best Presidents' Day streaming deals: Starz, YouTube TV, Hulu, and more Save big on your next few months of streaming. 4 hours ago By Christina Buff Starz, Disney, DirecTV, Hulu logos with blue and green abstract background Starz, Disney, DirecTV, Hulu logos with blue and green abstract background How to watch the 2026 winter sports speedskating online for free Live stream this action-packed event from anywhere in the world. 7 hours ago By Joseph Green Short track speed skaters Short track speed skaters The best Hulu deals and bundles in February 2026 Stream excellent shows and movies at a heavily discounted price. 9 hours ago By Hannah Hoolihan hulu logo against a red, blue, and purple patterned background hulu logo against a red, blue, and purple patterned background How to watch the T20 World Cup 2026 online for free Live stream all the action from India and Sri Lanka without spending anything. 11 hours ago By Joseph Green Mohammed Siraj of India Mohammed Siraj of India Trending on Mashable NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 9, 2026 Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #974. 18 hours ago By Mashable Team Connections game on a smartphone Connections game on a smartphone Every song in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show setlist From early hits to recent fan favorites, this was the full halftime setlist. 19 hours ago By Crystal Bell Bad Bunny performing at Super Bowl LX Bad Bunny performing at Super Bowl LX Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 9, 2026 Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #1696. 18 hours ago By Mashable Team Wordle game on a smartphone Wordle game on a smartphone 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects New Targaryens means a new family tree to learn, but we've got you covered. 02/06/2026 By Belen Edwards An illustrated Targaryen family tree. An illustrated Targaryen family tree. Bad Bunny's 'Ocasio 64' jersey meaning explained The hidden meaning behind Bad Bunny's "Ocasio 64" Super Bowl halftime jersey. 18 hours ago By Crystal Bell Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!

Tag » What Did Gus Johnson Do