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Marques Brownlee, a 30-year-old Maplewood native with 19.6 million YouTube followers, posted the video titled "How My Video Gear is Changing!" on Nov. 11. The clip sparked criticism from viewers who called out his reckless behavior behind the wheel.
Brownlee addressed the controversy in an apology on X, saying:
"Last video I did something pretty stupid. You might've already seen it, but maybe not, so I'll address it here. There was a clip with the action cam of me test driving a car and going way too fast. Absolutely inexcusable and dangerous."
Brownlee has since removed the clip using YouTube’s editor tool, he said, acknowledging that the move could be seen as an attempt to cover it up but maintained it was the responsible thing to do.
"There’s no reason to leave that clip in (there was no reason to include it in the first place)," he wrote. "I would never want to make it seem OK by leaving it in the video."
Brownlee also expressed regret over the example he set for his audience:
"All I can do is apologize and promise never to do anything close to that stupid again. That’s a terrible example to set, and I’m sorry for it."
The popular YouTuber concluded his statement by acknowledging the lasting impact of his actions: "I’m well aware of the Streisand effect, and I know everything on the internet lives forever, but I think this is the best decision right now."
Then, Brownlee received criticism for cutting the clip.
One person said in the comment section of the video:
Just so everyone coming in late knows what happens, Marques went in and removed a 5 second section of this video where he recklessly goes 96mph in a 35mph zone. He's attempting to sweep it under the rug, it would seem.
"Love that he cut out the 'unnecessary driving clip that added nothing to the video' that just so happened to show him driving 96mph in a school zone," another added. "You're wrong about one thing. It did add something. It showed the viewer the level of your integrity."
Brownlee, who attended Stevens Institute of Technology, gained a massive online presence reviewing products on YouTube while still in high school. He made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social media in 2021 and the Top Creators list in 2024, coming in at no. 17. Forbes says his net worth is $10 million as of Oct. 28, 2024.
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