Animator and YouTuber Vivienne Medrano, better known as VivziePop, is no stranger to criticism. She may have over 10 million subscribers on YouTube, but she also has a lot of “haters”, due to the VivziePop controversy that keeps resurfacing. The controversy around the popular YouTuber is mostly due to past events, such as her work from 2012, her past creator collaborations, and toxic workplace accusations.

Since these events happened a long time ago, most online resources and articles often don’t include the full story backed with social media posts. Our Business2Community experts have put together this article to gather all the information together, including complete context. Besides a full overview, you’ll also find business lessons on how to navigate controversies as a creator or an influencer.

VivziePop Controversy – Key Facts

  • YouTuber and animator VivziePop was accused of stealing character designs, drawing inappropriate content, and supporting controversial figures.
  • To explain the situation, VivziePop shared an explanation post on Tumblr and several threads on X.
  • However, since 2016, VivziePop’s past controversies have been resurfacing.

The Story of the VivziePop Controversy

The VivziePop controversy encompasses several events, including criticism of her content, her associations with problematic creators, toxic workplace allegations, and art theft accusations.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each controversy, and more information about VivziePop’s career.

About VivziePop

YouTuber Vivienne Medrano is known by her online alias VivziePop. She launched her YouTube channel in 2012, while still studying Animation at the School of Visual Arts. Today, her channel has over 10 million subscribers, who enjoy her animated series, particularly Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss.

Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated musical comedy, telling the story of Charlie Morningstar, the princess of Hell. Medrano released the pilot episode in 2019 on her YouTube channel. She produced, directed, and self-financed the show while working with freelance animators and accepting donations on Patreon.

Vivienne Medrano + SpindleHorse Patreon

By 2020, Hazbin Hotel garnered over 41 million views and eventually got picked up by independent entertainment company A24. Four years later, in 2024, Hazbin Hotel season one premiered on Amazon Prime.

Another popular internet series created by Medrano, Helluva Boss, is a spin-off of Hazbin Hotel. It takes place in the same fictional universe and is produced by SpindleHorse, Medrano’s animation production company.

Controversies around VivziePop’s Art

VivziePop’s artwork and comics have faced various controversies over the years, related to their content, quality, and ethical issues.

The controversies started with one of VivziePop’s early-career comics, Zoophobia. Critics pointed out that the series contained pedophilia, bestiality, and an inappropriate student-teacher relationship.

Zoophobia ended in 2016 but social media users still comment about the problematic aspect of VivziePop’s work. While VivziePop didn’t directly comment on these criticisms, she expressed her frustration in a Tumblr post. “I’m being accused of being the worst thing a human can be over weird but legal art I did as a teen,” were her exact words.

She mentioned that she drew the artwork in question when she was 19 as an inside joke.

VivziePop has also been accused of copying other artists’ work, particularly related to a character design dispute with an ex-friend. She denied these allegations, stating that she legally acquired the character design, although her friend tried to post a false contract to get credit.

Association with Problematic Creators

In 2016, Vivziepop created fan art for Blaire White and Shoe0nhead, two controversial YouTubers. In a now-deleted tweet, Vivziepop shared the fan art with the caption “overdue doodlies of two controversial ladies I really respect”.

VivziePop’s fan art received backlash, as the YouTubers were known for their insensitive content. For example, Blaire White, a white transgender woman, had previously shared a photo of herself with her face painted in black, and used the hashtag #blacklivesmatter in the caption.

In her 2019 Tumblr post, VivziePop said she did not follow White and Shoe0nhead when she drew the fan art so she wasn’t aware of the jokes they made. She described that period as a very difficult time in her life, and used these words to explain why she said she admired Blaire White and Shoe0nhead:

“Two years ago I was in the worst place in my entire life, it was a very intense political time for our country as well and I was finding comfort in hearing perspectives from all sides because I wanted to really see all sides to create my own opinions, I don’t believe in living in a bubble and I feel to make a stronger argument for your own opinions you must attempt to understand the opposing side so you can properly try to combat it, and I also admired the fact that two women were owning their own beliefs and speaking their mind-even if I disagreed at the time that was just very admirable to me AS a woman.”

Toxic Workplace Allegations

VivziePop has been accused of treating her employees badly. Erin Frost, an ex-crew member of Helluva Boss, talked about her experience working for the show. In a Tumblr post, Frost called Medrano a bad person and an “awful human being”.

Frost’s post mentions the following about the working conditions:

  • Medrano demanded unreasonable deadlines
  • The crew weren’t allowed to speak positively about other shows
  • Medrano encouraged her crew members to make fun of  competitors’ shows
  • The workplace was hierarchical, with Medrano favoring the members who flattered her

An X account, Vivziepop Receipts, documents controversies around VivziePop, which often include workplace issues. So far, it has shared posts from animators talking about their low pay rates, employees talking about harassment, and claims of toxic work culture within the production teams.

The post below is a retweet from an animator who said they got paid $36 to design the background of a Hazbin Hotel scene:

That said, not all crew members have spoken badly about Medrano. Sam Haft, songwriter for both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss said the studio did not have a toxic work culture. Instead, he said the team members got to choose how many hours they would like to work. “I imagine someone young and inexperienced might try to take on too much shit and burn themselves out, but it’s not for management demanding crunch,” he wrote in another post on X.

Voice Over Controversy

After Hazbin Hotel’s viral YouTube pilot, the series got picked up by independent entertainment company A24. Instead of working with the same voice actors, Medrano decided to hold auditions for each character.

Some fans and voice actors expressed their disappointment. Gabriel Brown, who voiced Alastor, said he preferred being in smaller projects that value him rather than bigger ones that don’t.

“The ex-voice cast wasn’t given any information, and anybody who DOES know likely can’t discuss it due to NDAs,” wrote Michael Kovach, the voice behind Angel Dust.

“The challenge of this show is that it’s a musical,” said Vivienne Medrano in a New York Times interview. “It requires performers who have a strong singing background and who could do the character voice as well,” she said, as she explained why she opted for a recast.

The Consequences of the VivziePop Controversy

VivziePop shared a post on Tumblr to clarify how she’s grown as an artist and a person. In the 2019 post, she highlighted that many of the controversies stemmed from misunderstandings, false rumors, and mistakes she made years ago.

Fast forward to 2024, VivziePop’s controversies still keep resurfacing, although most have been debunked. VivziePop announced that the situation has taken a toll on her mental health, especially since she’s been under constant scrutiny since she was 17.

What Can We Learn From the Vivziepop Controversy?

Her work relationships with the Hazbin Hotel crew and her content quality aside, the Vivziepop controversy provides valuable lessons about handling criticisms as a creator.

“I’m speaking about it because it’s been nonstop for years and I’m just kinda over it. If you can’t fathom that bad faith, misinformed, or incorrect takes on media could POSSIBLY exist then you are simply incapable of introspection,” Vivziepop wrote in an X post, about her reputation as someone who cannot take criticism.

If you’re a creator, influencer, or a brand, there are a few lessons here:

  • Not all criticism is the same: It’s important to distinguish between constructive and destructive criticism. The former can help you improve your content, while the latter can affect your mental health.
  • Careless actions have consequences: VivziePop said she created her controversial art in 2012 as a 19-year-old, and admitted she now found it “cringey”. Creators need to be careful about what they post, even when they have a small following.
  • Be careful about collaborations: Vivziepop’s collaboration with Blaire White and Shoe0nhead caused her significant backlash. When engaging in brand partnerships and collaborations, creators must consider whether the brand aligns well with their values.
  • Navigate public perception carefully: Sometimes it’s best to keep your opinion to yourself. At other times, releasing a public statement is necessary. For instance, Vivziepop cleared up some major controversies with her 2019 Tumblr post.
  • Stay honest and transparent: On a slightly different note, good business ethics go a long way. For example, if you prioritize your employee well-being and work quality, you won’t need to worry about toxic workplace allegations.

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