Charli D’Amelio’s ‘anxiety pen’ controversy explained
Instagram: charlidamelioJust before TikTok’s temporary ban, Charli D’Amelio surprised fans with a confession about the 2020 ‘anxiety pen’ controversy. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Charli D’Amelio, one of TikTok‘s biggest stars with over 152 million followers, rose to fame for her dance videos but has since expanded her career. She’s made her Broadway debut, won Dancing with the Stars Season 31, and stars in her reality series, The D’Amelio Show.
Back in 2020, a 16-year-old Charli sparked controversy when she was filmed appearing to blow vapor from her mouth, leading many to believe she had used a vape pen. Fans defended her, claiming it was an anxiety pen, which is a nicotine and THC-free device designed to help with anxiety.
Now, in January 2025, Charli has revisited the controversy with a new video, surprising many fans.
Background
On January 2, 2020, YouTuber huskerfiend reuploaded a now-deleted TikTok video originally posted by PetrouTV, featuring influencers Lil Huddy and Charli D’Amelio. Toward the end of the clip, viewers noticed what appeared to be Charli blowing vapor out of her mouth.
The video, titled “CHARLI DAMELIO CAUGHT VAPING/JUULING, SMOKE COMES OUT OF NOSE, DELETED VIDEO BY petroutv,” garnered over 11 million views.
In March 2020, Charli D’Amelio was purportedly seen vaping again in a now-deleted vlog by Avani Gregg, which documented their trip to Hawaii. Clips of this quickly went viral throughout 2020, sparking widespread discussion and coverage by various online media outlets.
Critics were quick to condemn her, arguing that vaping set a poor example for her young audience and pointing out its potential health risks. Meanwhile, many of Charli’s fans came to her defense, claiming the device was an anxiety pen.
Charli D’Amelio admits it was not an anxiety pen
On January 18, 2025, Charli D’Amelio addressed the controversy in a clip posted to her second TikTok account (user4350486101678910).
In the video, she admitted that the device in question was not an anxiety pen, stating she had no idea where that rumor came from. She also apologized to her fans.
The video, following a trend where creators share their secrets ahead of TikTok’s potential ban, quickly went viral with over 55 million views.
After admitting it was a vape the whole time, fans flooded the comments to share their reactions. “THE WAY I TOLD EVERYONE IT WAS AN ANXIETY PEN,” one person wrote.
“GIRL I WAS FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE IN THE 2020 COMMENT SECTIONS,” another commented. “Charli I lowkey actually believed it was a anxiety pen,” a third said.
However, the TikTok ban only lasted 14 hours before the app was restored, leaving Charli embarrassed. She responded with a follow-up video on her main account, playfully acknowledging the situation.
“Well this is awkward,” she captioned the January 20 clip, which has amassed over 68 million views.
“So it wasn’t an anxiety pen you said??” a top comment with over 200,000 likes questioned, while another noted that TikTokers “revealed their secret for NOTHING.”