Tana Mongeau Opens Up About Her Alleged Underage Relationship With YouTuber Cody Ko

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

Frazer Harrison/WireImage; Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

YouTube personality and podcaster Tana Mongeau made waves in the creator space with off-the-cuff remarks about social media star Cody Ko having sex with her during a period in which they collaborated on videos then that she was 17 and he was 25.

In a live recording of his podcast Canceled In front of a Sacramento audience in late May, Mongeau faced a “hot seat” segment, answering a barrage of questions as quickly and honestly as possible. She revealed her least favorite city on the tour (New Orleans), talked about partnering with a brand to promote a sketchy Juul charger that could be connected to a smartphone, and claimed that rapper Tyga was the the most famous person she's ever slept with. But this is an even more childish investigation that has provoked reactions of shock and scandal. Asked about the “smallest dick” she’s ever had sex with, she replied: “Oh my God, no one is looking at me. Cody Ko.” As the room erupted in screams, she added, “I can say that, I was literally 17 years old. » (In California, where Ko has lived since 2015, the age of consent is 18.)

While the tour had a policy against phone use and recording during shows, footage of the conversation was still posted to TikTok and other social platforms, where it quickly spread, leading to condemnations de Ko as well as attacks on the character and credibility of Mongeau. A representative for Ko did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mongeau's allegations, while a spokesperson for Mongeau said she had no further comment.

Rumors that the two slept together while Mongeau was a minor have circulated for years, but this onstage allusion to an inappropriate relationship led Ko's fans to demand that the comedian, podcaster and rapper – who married to YouTuber Kelsey Kreppel last year, with the couple becoming parents in January – make a statement acknowledging Mongeau's story. A few weeks after the topic started circulating, he has yet to address the subject.

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Mongeau, meanwhile, recently sought to clarify her feelings about what happened between them nearly a decade ago. “To be 100% honest, when I look back on Cody's situation, I'm definitely like, 'Why was he doing that?'” she said on an episode of Canceled Last weekend. She recalled an event where singer and influencer Gabbie Hanna took Ko aside and told him Mongeau was only 17, but the two left and connected anyway. “I can look at this and say, 'Why the hell are you doing this?'” she said.

“But I don't associate it or consider it with trauma,” explained Mongeau, who turned 26 on Monday, “because I'm such a relatable person, where I am, so many worse things have happened to me. arrivals. And it's bad. But I really feel that way She then described how she grew up loving Ko's content and was a happy fan to spend time with him. as an adult you can say: you were taken advantage of.”

Last week, Mongeau also appeared on Just Trish, her friend Trisha Paytas' podcast, and discussed her past with Ko, which she again stressed was not traumatic for her. However, she said, “if I had a 17-year-old daughter or little sister” in the same situation, “I would kill.”

“But what was really heartbreaking, and a little crazy for me, was after it started going viral, to see so many people didn't believe me,” Mongeau continued. “Saying, 'It's Tana, so whatever.' “And then I started to feel bad for so many other girls who maybe look up to me and want to speak their truth and see how people just don't believe people. Paytas and Mongeau agreed that they both tend to take the darkest moments of their lives lightly in order to cope with them. “You want to feel in control of your own narrative,” Mongeau said.

Ko's fans on the dedicated subreddit r/codyko are divided over the allegation, with some doubting Mongeau's account and others arguing that she was a victim. “This especially makes me sad for her,” one recent comment read. “I hope she receives a private apology.” In a trending thread, another commenter asked for YouTube alternatives from Ko and his podcast network Tiny Meat Gang Studios. “In light of situations related to Cody's past, it is difficult for me to look at him the same way,” they wrote. “I really enjoyed watching content like his, though. Any recommendations for YouTubers whose content is similar to yours? »

On another subreddit, r/CodyKoUnfiltered, a forum meant to be a refuge from r/codyko's “censorship,” criticism of Ko was much more pointed, with users complaining about being banned from the main subreddit for mentioning Mongeau. “Putting aside all the back and forth about whether or not this happened, the fact that (Ko) won't even address any of this has been extremely off-putting,” one disillusioned person wrote. “This is pure ignorance. I've been a fan of Cody for a very long time, but I really can't bring myself to watch his videos anymore.