ANN ARBOR, MI - Pangea Piercing is closed for good, its owner J.C. Potts confirmed, describing his decision to close the shop as the result of a social justice witch hunt.

Potts took to Pangea's YouTube channel to defend himself against what he described as "pretty ugly allegations" he believes were twisted and embellished by a customer that described his views as that of a white supremacist last week via social media.

After the post gained traction, Potts emptied his downtown Ann Arbor shop on East Liberty Street late last week, noting it was closed until further notice after receiving threats as a result of the allegations. On Friday, he confirmed "my career is over," and he was "completely done with the piercing business" in the nearly 10-minute video.

"Anyone who has seen my videos or has been pierced by me knows that I'm nowhere near politically correct and I use my unconventional sense of humor to mock a world gone completely insane," he said.

"I'll talk about challenging topics, and for the ultra-sensitive activist types, I'm sure that I can sound like some Trumpian figure, and with a little twist and some embellishment it might be the 'actual racism' that Ann Arbor has been so desperately searching for," he later added.

Pangea came under criticism following a social media post from a customer describing her encounter with Potts. The post alleges Potts expressed to a customer a need for white people to "stick together," and notes that he "threw in many racial slurs" during the conversation.

Spread the word if you’re in a2‼️‼️ do not go to Pangea piercing and be aware that Ann Arbor is NOT immune to these types of situations. pic.twitter.com/gEqS0n7CgD — Lo (@LauraStroudd) August 22, 2018

It was retweeted more than 6,100 times and led to dozens of similar postings. Some online shared that Potts has a history of making racially insensitive comments on Pangea Piercing's popular YouTube channel, while others have accused Potts of making sexually inappropriate comments during their appointments.

Potts vehemently denied he is a white supremacist or white nationalist in the video, noting his encounter with the customer in question was taken out of context.

He also called attention to what he described as three "false flag" incidents that happened in the area over the past couple of years as evidence that people are often quick to rush to judgment before the whole story comes out. Those incidents include a woman who falsely reported a threat to set her hijab on fire; racist vandalism incidents that took place on the Eastern Michigan University campus and a woman falsely reporting a safety pin slashing in Ann Arbor.

Regardless of race, Potts said he tries to find common ground with all of his customers.

"I've always steadfastly said that no one should ever be disenfranchised or dispossessed because of characteristics they have no control over," he said. "I've always maintained that I do not want dominion over, nor to seek to exploit anyone. It's like the exact opposite of white supremacy."

Potts said the online and public outcry he and his business have faced in the aftermath of the incident have come from a "howling mob that demands that its witches be burned, which is what's happening to me."

"All it takes is offending a few rabid social justice types and they can signal boost, twist, embellish and in some cases, outright lie in their thirst to punish a blasphemer until they get what they want," Potts said. "I'm not a white supremacist, white nationalist, separatist or anything like that. I've just said that we should always be treated equally - even straight white men. If that's the extent of my heresy, then I'm a heretic."

Despite closing his business, Potts said he plans to continue posting his opinions on social media, although not under the Pangea Piercing YouTube channel.

"My only blasphemy extends to offering my love and respect towards my own, as well as everyone else," Potts said. "If that makes me a witch, then I'm going to get burned. That is my heresy, and I will not recant. I only ask the others working with me can escape - my sin is my own, and has nothing to do with them."