Eugenia Cooney is the subject of Shane Dawson’s latest video, an hour-long documentary which dropped on July 19. The video focuses on Cooney’s recovery and her return to social media after a long hiatus.
Eugenia Cooney is the 24-year-old beauty vlogger and Twitch streamer who caused concern in early February after she uploaded a Kingdom Hearts cosplay video (see below) in which she looked dangerously emaciated.
Fans were alarmed about her skeletal physical condition in the video. Many pleaded with her to seek help for what was believed to be a chronic eating disorder.
YouTube stars, including Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg, also weighed in on the issue. PewDiePie posted a video in which he asked his fans to give Cooney support and encouragement so that she can seek help.
Cooney eventually responded to the outpouring of concern and support when she announced on Twitter that she was taking a break from social media to “work on this with my doctor privately.”
Hi guys! I appreciate the concern. I’m taking a break from social media and voluntarily working on this with my doctor privately. Please respect that. pic.twitter.com/Wyqjo16xdH
— Eugenia Cooney (@Eugenia_Cooney) February 10, 2019
Dawson’ latest video, uploaded on July 19 and titled The Return of Eugenia Cooney, was an instant hit. It rose quickly to no. 1 spot on YouTube, with more than 16 million views.
In the video, Dawson interviews Cooney, who appears to have fully recovered. They talk about her first eight years of activity on YouTube and social media before she was forced to take a break.
They also talk about her recovery effort and return to social media and YouTube.
In the video, Cooney admits that she struggled with self-esteem issues and eating disorder. This explains why — as fans observed — she grew thinner and thinner until she was finally forced to address the issue following the backlash over her last cosplay video in February.
wow just finished watching @shanedawson’s new video and I’m crying, it really touched my heart? I’m so glad you made this Shane. And @Eugenia_Cooney you were so great in the video! I’ve missed ya, it made me happy to see you again :~)
— Ricky Dillon (@RickyPDillon) July 20, 2019
shane’s new video was so wholesome and great and i’m so happy for eugenia ?❤️
— positiviᵗᵉᵃ (@TeaSpillYT) July 19, 2019
After Dawson released his documentary, Cooney also released a YouTube video of her own on Friday, titled I’m back. The video also went viral, rising to the No. 2 spot.
Cooney’s video, which has received more than 4.45 million views on YouTube, is currently no. 4 trending video on YouTube. According to the social media tracker SocialBlade, Cooney gained more than 250,000 new subscribers in the first 24 hours of uploading her comeback video.
In the video, Cooney confirms that she is finally returning to YouTube, Twitch, and social media. She also expressed her gratitude to Shane, his fans, and other YouTube and social media stars who showed concern and support.
Seeing so much support is making me cry. ? Thank you guys so so much for being so kind and positive towards me. It's been a really difficult year and it's a hard journey, but if I can overcome my demons, know that you can too. Love you all ❤️❤️❤️
— Eugenia Cooney (@Eugenia_Cooney) July 19, 2019
Seeing so much support is making me cry. ? Thank you guys so so much for being so kind and positive towards me. It's been a really difficult year and it's a hard journey, but if I can overcome my demons, know that you can too. Love you all ❤️❤️❤️
— Eugenia Cooney (@Eugenia_Cooney) July 19, 2019
The first sign of Cooney’s recovery and imminent return to social media came in early June. A photo of the vlogger appeared on social media showing her looking much better.
The photo gave her fans hope that she would soon return to YouTube and many sent messages to congratulate her on her anticipated full recovery.
Eugenia Cooney is doing really good right now. pic.twitter.com/ENBTDFHE0m
— KEEM ? (@KEEMSTAR) June 2, 2019
With Cooney’s latest video marking her return to YouTube, fans are optimistic that she would serve as a positive model to other young women who might be suffering from similar eating disorders and body image issues.