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Why Michelle Phan Left YouTube to Find ‘True Happiness’

Photo: 2016 Getty Images

A year ago, after becoming YouTube’s most well-known success story, Michelle Phan quit it all. Her social-media channels went dark and she left without explanation. “People literally thought I was dead,” she told racked.com. Prior to leaving it all, Phan had been hit with several lawsuits; she was also working on Em, a struggling beauty line with L’Oréal, and a beauty sampling subscription start-up called Ipsy.

Today, Phan posted a detailed video, in cartoon form, explaining why she left it all, which quickly became the no. 7 trending video on YouTube. In it, she talks about her “broken spirit,” how she found peace and soothed her anxiety with nature and no Wi-Fi, and what’s next. Watch the video below in which Phan explains, “Back then, I was just someone who was showing you how to look more beautiful. Now I want to show you how to feel more beautiful.” “Feeling” good is officially the new “looking” good (although, according to racked.com, Phan is also re-launching Em).

Why Michelle Phan Left YouTube to Find ‘True Happiness’