his reaction to a 7-Up salad went viral, attracting over 5.6 million views. Kalen's witty commentary and innate ability to make people laugh caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres.
By January 2018, the Kansas City native was hired to create videos for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. BuzzFeed recently spoke with Kalen to reflect on his career, his decision to stop making food reaction videos, and how he's paving the way for future Black queer creators by being authentically himself.
Check it out ahead.Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Kalen Allen: It is no secret that I am a very confident person.
I have always been that way. And I never even gave people the space to [bully] me. I always stood for who I was, and I never gave anybody any other option.