Cosplay YouTuber Belle Delphine said on Monday morning that her account was removed from the video platform without warning.
The internet celebrity and model says her account was terminated for violating YouTube’s policy on sexual content. Content like pornography that’s meant to be sexually gratifying is not allowed on YouTube, according to the company guidelines. YouTube allows nudity when the “primary purpose is educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic, and it isn’t gratuitous,” but it may be age-restricted to protect young audiences.
Delphine took her complaints to Twitter: “Hey @TeamYouTube why was my YouTube account terminated with no warning/no strikes for ‘sexual content’ when you allow and promote songs like ‘W.A.P’? Seems a lil sus.”
A tweet from Team YouTube said the company would look into the matter.
Fans on YouTube showed support for Delphine, many claiming that YouTube is implementing a “double standard” because other celebrities have been allowed to post explicit sexual content.
Fans said songs like “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are equally sexual to Delphine’s content, like her “I’m Back” music video that shows her doing sexually suggestive dances to explicit lyrics.
Although the video was deleted from her account, there are several fan reposts and remixes of “I’m Back” still on YouTube.
YouTuber Vito posted a 13-minute video explaining his theory of why YouTube was unjustified in deleting Delphine’s account. Vito said Delphine’s videos are funny and playful, and viewers shouldn’t take them so seriously.
Some Twitter users weren’t as supportive, though.
The 21-year-old is known for modeling revealing cosplay outfits in sexually explicit poses and conducting titillating pranks. She gained most notoriety after a stunt in which she sold her own used bathwater, claiming that the idea came from her followers saying they would drink it. The bathwater sold out in three days.
One user tweeted, “Belle Delphine getting her channel banned is wack but I can’t say I feel bad.”
Others hailed YouTube’s action as “a fail,” saying that Delphine’s termination confirms that the platform has a completely different set of rules for different content creators.
Neither Delphine nor YouTube responded to the Daily Dot for comment.