Calling CPS On Shane Dawson & Ryland Adams After The Birth Of Their Twins Is More Problematic Than Shane Ever Was
Despite the happy family news, Shane Dawson's past has come back to haunt him again.
@shanedawson / Instagram Congratulations are in order for former Internet sensation Shane Dawson and his husband Ryland Adams as they recently became fathers. The couple welcomed twin boys on December 7, 2023, and shared their first family photos, smiling ear to ear on what they called “the best day of our entire lives.”
While the new dads were reveling in their happy family news, not everyone shared their joy and extended their well wishes. In fact, some people were concerned about the babies’ well-being and safety while living under Dawson and Ryland’s roof, and have taken it upon themselves to alert CPS with their worries.
People are calling CPS on Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams due to Dawson’s problematic comments and behavior in the past.
Like many of his YouTuber peers, Shane Dawson became a target of cancel culture after making inappropriate comments on his podcast “Shane and Friends” in 2014 and 2015.
In a now-deleted episode, Dawson remarked about a six-year-old fan who once showed him her Instagram account. "She shows me her Instagram, and, first of all, I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but she was kind of sexy," Dawson said before a co-host called his comments “disturbing” and a “justification of pedophilia.”
In the same podcast episode, Dawson also recalled googling the phrase “naked baby,” referring to the results as “sexy.” He immediately clarified that he was joking, according to Billboard.
A year later during another episode of the podcast, Dawson recalled an incident where he allegedly sexually assaulted his pet cat. "One time I laid my cat down on her back, I moved her little chicken legs spread open or whatever," Dawson said before claiming that he had “humped” the cat and that it was his first “sexual experience.”
An unsettling video of Dawson pretending to masturbate to a photo of an 11-year-old Willow Smith also appeared on the Internet. Both her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, and brother, Jaden Smith, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to call out Dawson’s actions.
“To Shane Dawson… I’m done with the excuses,” Jada wrote. “SHANE DAWSON I AM DISGUSTED BY YOU,” Jaden added.
After his disturbing comments and videos resurfaced years later, Dawson, who was once dubbed “The King of YouTube,” faced endless backlash from his former fans. Many of them swore that they would never again watch his content, and his follower count plummeted.
Dawson later claimed that his remarks were not meant to be taken seriously, and that he used dark humor in many of his videos and podcast episodes for shock value.
He clarified that he never had sexual relations with his pet cat, nor did he find pictures of children “sexy.” He released a 14-minute video addressing his offensive comments and apologized to his fans.
“I’ve apologized many times for all the dumb [expletive] I’ve said in videos and podcasts over the years,” Dawson posted on X in March 2019. “I’ve learned my lesson over and over again and I’m more confident now in my ability to be entertaining by just being myself and not being so shocking for laughs.”
“There’s so many things I’m not proud of,” he added. “But all of my offensive jokes, over-the-top stories, and insensitive jokes are something that still haunts me and something I have to be faced with every day on the Internet. And it never gets easier.”
In June 2020, Dawson took a hiatus from posting on the Internet. He returned in October 2021, posting sporadic videos.
In February 2022, Dawson revealed that he was excited to be launching a new podcast, leaving his previous one, which he says “ruined” his life, in the past forever. “It ruined my life, but that was a different person. I wouldn’t say offensive things or do that anymore,” Dawson shared.
Earlier this year, Dawson shared a video with a major life update. He announced that he and his husband, Ryland Adams, whom he married in January 2023, were expecting twin boys via surrogacy.
Although it appeared that the expecting father turned his life around and changed his behavior, some of his former fans were horrified that he would be having children of his own given his problematic past.
Almost immediately after the birth of his twins, some people admitted that they had called CPS in hopes of having the children removed from Dawson and Adams’ care.
Some of them were concerned that the children would be “groomed” or “trafficked.”
“I’ve never seen someone more unqualified to be a parent than Shane Dawson,” one TikTok user commented. “Somebody better keep an eye on those kids,” another user wrote.
Since apologizing for his remarks that were made nearly a decade ago for satire, Dawson has not engaged or made more comments regarding his past scandal.
In fact, Dawson claimed that his past mistakes allowed him to evolve into the improved personality he has become today.
“I’m kind of glad that it all happened. It made me face a lot of things and realize a lot of things,” he admitted in a video earlier this year.
It is important to note that dark humor was much more popular back in the day and was how many Internet sensations got their big break, even though it is considered appropriate today.
Many people believe that the cancellation of Shane Dawson was unfair and that he deserves the opportunity to live his life in peace without his past constantly being brought up.
“Most of us grew up on 'South Park,'” TikTok user @joysparkleshine pointed out in a video defending Dawson.
As someone who admitted to being canceled herself for her “obvious sarcasm,” Joy encouraged those who were phoning CPS over Dawson’s inappropriate jokes from years ago to cut him and his new family a break.
“I just don’t think we should bully someone over jokes,” she said. “And if we can’t understand context, it scares me.”
Many other people shared the same opinion as Joy. “I 100% believe Shane Dawson is not a pedophile. Everything he said was just a bad joke. People need to leave them alone,” one TikTok user commented. “I don’t like Shane, but people need to let him live and stop actively trying to ruin his life. He’s just a human trying to be happy,” another user wrote.
One making tasteless jokes that they have since apologized for and refrained from repeating does not affect their ability to raise and love their children.
When we think about it, other YouTubers and celebrities who have faced backlash for past behaviors (Trisha Paytas, Colleen Ballinger, Elon Musk) all have children, and none of them have had CPS called on them.
Those who are still attempting to contact CPS and doubt Dawson as a father have likely cracked more than a few inappropriate jokes for laughs. The only difference is that they were not in the limelight of the media and their actions were not caught on camera.
We wish Shane and Ryland the best of luck in their new chapter in life, and are sending them and their new babies well wishes!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.