Jeffrey Star: From flouting social distancing rules to feuding with celebrities, this YouTuber is a trouble magnet
Jeffree Star is feeling the heat — not for the usual beef with a former friend or a fellow YouTuber — but because he seemed to have eased up on social distancing rules in a new photo posted on social media.
In the photo, Star can be seen on the grand, sweeping staircase in his mansion worth $14.6M wearing his favorite Jeffree Star Cosmetics robe while he cozies up to the JSC social media editor, Kammi. Fans immediately called him out for flouting social distancing norms, which suggest a distance of at least 6 feet between individuals as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.
One user tweeted in response, "That’s literally the opposite of quarantine btw," while another wrote, "That doesn’t look like social distancing to me Jeffree... I love you, your makeup, and your content, but you have a LARGE audience and you should be setting a better example."
This isn't the first time the makeup mogul has raised controversy, however. In the world of YouTube stars where feuds come every other day, Star has been the focus of many, with some involving James Charles and Tati Westbrook. It would seem like Star has feuded with everyone from the Kardashian-Jenner clan to Kat Von D.
Racism
In 2017, Star was called out when racist videos he’d made more than a decade prior began circulating, leading to many talking about his racist past. Star has since apologized for the incidents and told Allure magazine, "I said those horrible things to everyone to get a reaction. I hate the 'r-word.' I think it’s so far from who I am but I’ve said things that are racist to women of color and other people so I get it."
Earlier this year, Star was criticized for cultural appropriation after he was shown sporting cornrows and dreadlocks in advertisements for JSC's upcoming "Blood Lust" makeup collection. Beauty YouTuber Jen Luvs tweeted, "Even if you don't get it, even if you think it's silly... If you KNOW that something you do is going to upset people of another culture, just DON'T DO IT. You don't HAVE to understand. You not understanding is irrelevant. You don't have to understand to be kind and respectful."
Kat Von D's allegations against Star
Mexican tattoo artist, model and musician Kat Von D and Jeffrey Star used to be collaborators and friends. However, their relationship ended in 2016 as Von D cited "drug use, racism, and bullying".
Von D alleges that Star never paid for packaging artwork. Star reportedly asked her to draw designs for his brand. She declined but pointed him in the direction BJ Betts, an artist who could help. "I introduced Jeffree to BJ, and then BJ drew up his logos. And then Jeffree went forward with them... It's the logos you see now... And then never paid BJ."
She continued, "BJ would call him and basically Jeffree blocked his phone. So finally BJ called from a landline, and Jeffree answered, and then when he realized it was BJ asking for payment, he hung up on him and blocked that number. That's just (what) he does."
Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner
When Kylie Jenner released a new line of cosmetics in 2017, Star called out the products and alleged that they used derivative packaging of one he had been using since 2014. Moreover, he also negatively reviewed her makeup brush set. This led to Jenner taking Jeffree off her public-relations list but has since then put him back on.
After Kim Kardashian released contour powders in her palette, Star remarked that something did not look right and that Kardashian needed to learn how to swatch properly. Later, when he was called out for racist remarks, Kardashian defended him, telling her followers to "get over it". She later apologized, stating, "I really didn't have the right to say 'get over it' to a situation that involves racism."