Nikita Dragun

Nikita Nguyen (born January 31, 1996)^[1][3] known professionally as Nikita Dragun, is a YouTuber, make-up artist and model.^[4]

Nikita Nguyen
Nguyen in 2019
Personal information
Born	(1996-01-31) January 31, 1996 (age 27)^[1] Belgium
YouTube information
Years active	2014–present
Genre(s)	Beauty, vlog, makeup
Subscribers	3.51 million
Total views	300 million
Creator Awards 100,000 subscribers 2016^[2] 1,000,000 subscribers 2018^[2]
Last updated: March 2, 2023

Early life

Nikita Nguyen was born in Belgium and attended high school in Virginia, United States. She is of Vietnamese and Mexican descent and came out as trans when she was a teenager. In several of Nguyen's YouTube videos, she has spoken openly about her gender identity.^[5][6]

Career

Nguyen joined YouTube in February 2013. She stated, "I started to get little brand deals around that time… That was also when I decided to start taking Instagram and YouTube seriously." In 2015, by which time she was living in Los Angeles, she came out as transgender.^[4] As of October 2021, she has over 3.54 million subscribers on YouTube, 9 million followers on Instagram, and 14.5 million followers on TikTok.^[7]

In response to comments by L Brands chief marketing officer Ed Razek that trans women should not be included in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because "the show is a fantasy", Nguyen tweeted a video of herself modeling lingerie. In the tweet, Nguyen argues that trans women were indeed able to convey fantasy.^[8]

In March 2019, she announced a make-up line, Dragun Beauty.^[9] Aside from the mainstream market, the cosmetic line is also targeted towards the transgender community. All products are vegan and cruelty-free, this is cited as a reason why Nikita decided to launch her brand independently.^[10] In June 2019, Nguyen was interviewed about her make-up brand on the LGBT radio network Channel Q, where she credited her journey as a trans woman building her brand as the inspiration behind Dragun Beauty and its products.^[11]

In September 2019, it was announced Nikita would be starring in her own docuseries on Snapchat, "Nikita Unfiltered". The series follows Nguyen as she searches for love, "a different path" in her career, and navigates fame as a trans woman. The series premiered on March 21, 2020.^[12][13]

Controversies

On July 21, 2020, Nguyen held a surprise birthday party for YouTuber Larri Merritt during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Hype House mansion.^[14] The party included internet celebrities such as James Charles, Charli D'Amelio, Dixie D'Amelio, and others.^[15] At the time of the party, California's COVID-19 cases had just surpassed New York's cases.^[16] There was an estimated 67 people in attendance,^[17] many of whom were seen without face masks^[15] despite local health recommendations.^[18] Photos and videos of the event appeared on social media sites such as Instagram. These posts drew criticism from the public, including other influencers like Elijah Daniel and Tyler Oakley.^[14][19] Merritt, and some of the other attendees, later apologized.^[17] Residents of the Hype House later tested negative for COVID-19.^[20]

Some people have accused Nguyen of blackfishing.^[21][22][23]

Arrest

Nguyen was arrested on November 7, 2022, after police claimed they found her roaming around a swimming pool at The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, wearing only underwear and spraying police and security personnel with water. According to the police report, officers were called in response to a report of a person acting in a "highly disorderly fashion" and causing a disturbance.^[24] She was charged for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, misdemeanor battery, and felony battery on a police officer. Nguyen was taken into custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County with a $2,000 bond.^[25] She claimed she was placed into a men's prison despite her gender identity.^[26][27] Officials from the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Department disputed Nguyen's account, saying during Nguyen's booking process she was first held in an open seating area, then in a one-person holding cell.^[28]

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Result
2019	Streamy Awards	Beauty	Won^[29]
2019	E! People's Choice Awards	The Beauty Influencer of 2019	Nominated^[30]
2020	The 12th Annual Shorty Awards	Best in Beauty	Won^[31]

Filmography

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2018–2019	Escape the Night	The Troublemaker	Main cast; 14 episodes	^[32]
2020	Nikita Unfiltered	Herself	10 episodes	^[12]
	Instant Influencer with James Charles	Herself	Episode: "I Have to Apologize for This..."

TV series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2019	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills	Herself	Episode: "The Show Must Go On"	^[32]
2022	Hype House	Herself	Main role	^[33]

Music videos

Year	Title	Performer(s)	Ref.
2018	"Heart to Break"	Kim Petras	^[34]
	"That Bih"	Qveen Herby	^[35]
2019	"Best Friend's Ass"	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Paris Hilton	^[36]
	"Fuck It Up"	Iggy Azalea, Kash Doll	^[37]
2020	"Malibu" (At Home Edition)	Kim Petras
	"Baby, I'm Jealous"	Bebe Rexha, Doja Cat
2022	"Booty"	Saucy Santana,Latto

References

1. Dodgson, Lindsay (February 3, 2021). "Nikita Dragun is facing backlash for throwing a birthday party where maskless influencers kissed each other". Insider. Retrieved July 12, 2021. Influencer Nikita Nguyen, better known as Nikita Dragun, has hosted yet another pandemic party — this time for her 25th birthday ... on January 31, which documented the party.
2. . Archived from the original on October 21, 2018.
3. Vasquez, Lane (January 19, 2021). "The Truth About Nikita Dragun's Name". Retrieved November 9, 2022.
4. "YouTube Star Nikita Dragun on Authenticity, Inclusivity, and Why the Trolls Don't Scare Her". Elle. September 30, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
5. Lamare, Amy (May 17, 2019). "Who Is Nikita Dragun? New Details On The YouTube Makeup Artist Who Defended James Charles In The Tati Westbrook scandal". YourTango. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
6. Ward, Tom (April 17, 2019). "Nikita Dragun Is Transforming The Face Of Beauty". Forbes. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
7. "Here's What's Going On With All The Drama Between Popular Beauty YouTubers Accusing One Another Of Being Racist". BuzzFeed. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
8. . NBC News. February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
9. Tietjen, Alexa (March 11, 2019). "Exclusive: Nikita Dragun Debuts Cosmetics Brand Dragun Beauty". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
10. Sharma, Jeena (April 8, 2019). "Nikita Dragun Wants You to Live Your Fantasy". PAPER. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
11. "Nikita Dragon Exclusive Interview". We Are Channel Q. June 20, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
12. "Nikita Dragun's new docuseries is arriving on Snapchat, and she's hoping it provides 'a little bit of fantasy and escape' from the coronavirus". Insider.com.
13. Boren, Jade (March 21, 2020). "Nikita Dragun Is Ready To Show Fans 'Everything' In New Snapchat Docuseries: 'It's Completely Unfiltered'".
14. Williams, Janice (July 28, 2020). "Influencers Face Backlash After Attending Party for TikTok Star Larray As Coronavirus Surges. Newsweek". Newsweek. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
15. Lustig, Hanna. "Dozens of top influencers gathered for a massive Hype House birthday party despite record COVID-19 numbers in California". Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
16. McGreevy, Patrick (July 22, 2020). "California to obtain more masks, gear as it becomes state with most COVID-19 cases". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
17. Tenbarge, Kat (July 27, 2020). "Party-goers were subjected to strong online backlash, but that hasn't stopped them from continuing to go out". Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
18. Llyod, Jonathan (June 19, 2020). "If You Have Questions About California's Face Mask Rules, This List Has Them Covered". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
19. Henry, Ben (July 23, 2020). "Tyler Oakley Called Out James Charles, Charli D'Amelio And More For Attending An "Insane Surprise Party" During Lockdown". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
20. Roantree, Megab (August 4, 2020). "Nikita Dragun Got The Hype House Tested For Coronavirus". Kiss. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
21. II, Moises Mendez (June 3, 2021). "A complete timeline of every controversy Nikita Dragun has been in since her rise to YouTube fame in 2014". Insider. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
22. Nolan, Emma (October 5, 2020). "Who is Nikita Dragun? YouTuber Under Fire For Race Remarks". Newsweek. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
23. Lenzen, Cecilia (October 5, 2020). "Nikita Dragun accused of blackfishing amid baffling tweet about race". The Daily Dot. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
24. "YouTube Influencer Nikita Dragun Charged with Felony Battery of an Officer at Miami Hotel". NBC Miami. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
25. "Nikita Dragun Arrested at Miami Hotel ... Allegedly Naked at Pool". TMZ. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
26. Rude, Mey (November 9, 2022). "Trans Influencer Nikita Dragun Reportedly Being Held in a Men's Prison". Out.
27. Heady, Taylor Alexis (November 9, 2022). "Trans Influencer Nikita Dragun Reportedly Held in Men's Jail Unit Following Arrest". Popcrush. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
28. Gothner, Chris (November 10, 2022). "Officials dispute account, say transgender influencer Nikita Dragun was never in men's jail". WPLG. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
29. "Winners Announced for the 9th Annual Streamy Awards". December 14, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
30. Entertainment, E!. "E! People's Choice Awards 2019". pca.eonline.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
31. Street, Mikelle (May 5, 2020). "LGBTQ+ Stars Swept the Shorty Awards 2020". Out.
32. "Nikita Dragun". IMDb.com.
33. Ylanan, Aida (April 23, 2021). "TikTok's Hype House is coming to Netflix — but don't expect to see its biggest stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
34. "Heart to Break - Kim Petras (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
35. "Qveen Herby - THAT BIH (360º Video)". YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
36. "Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs. Paris Hilton - Best Friend's Ass (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
37. "Iggy Azalea - F*ck It Up (Official Music Video) ft. Kash Doll". YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

External links

• Nikita Dragun's channel on YouTube
• Nikita Dragun on Instagram