Yesterday, Jeffree Star posted a scandalous selfie, feeding rumors about his alleged affair with Kanye West, around the same time that violent Trump supporters were storming the Capitol. At the time, the internet was like “Not now, girl.†The day began with the news that Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are reportedly headed for divorce after six years, but since the day included an insurrection, make no apologies for not having the bandwidth for 2021’s most insane rumor yet. But if you’re just catching up, let us rot your brain with yesterday’s fourth-biggest news. Here’s how the internet fed a rumor about Jeffree Star and Kanye West having an ongoing affair and where the hell it came from in the first place.
Who do we have to blame for this?
Ah, if it were that easy. The initial rumor that Kanye West was cheating on Kim Kardashian West with a “male beauty guru†came from within the influencer community itself. The culprit is TikToker Ava Louise. Known for being an online nuisance and exaggerating the truth to go viral, she’s also the influencer behind last year’s “Coronavirus Challenge†parody where she licked an airplane toilet. On Wednesday, she posted a TikTok saying “a lot of people in the scene†(okay, ew) have known about the affair. “i can’t say WHO cuz he’ll sue me hint hint but it’s part of the reason Kanye’s so religious now it’s his self hatred ….†she wrote in the caption. “my source is legit I promiss [sic]†So, obviously people assumed it was the ever-litigious Jeffree Star.
The TikTok rumor got picked up by blind-gossip Instagram account @DeuxMoi, which reposted the item, adding that they “think it’s not true†because Star has been dating. A reminder that Instagram Stories are not a reliable source.
Ugh, Jeffree. Did he ever respond to that report claiming that he paid off his sexual-assault accuser so they wouldn’t go public?
No, he simply donated $25,000 to a local Wyoming children’s charity a few days later and continued posting on social media like nothing happened.
Wyoming … I know one thing about Wyoming … Isn’t that where Kanye lives?Â
Yeah, according to “Page Six,†Kanye has been living at his Wyoming residence while he and Kim are separated. And, yes, Jeffree Star moved to a ranch in Wyoming in early December, a plan he had mentioned on Twitter back in August. However, Kanye famously lives in Cody, Wyoming, and Jeffree laid his claim in Casper, Wyoming, which are at least three hours apart. Another TikToker cited the fact that both the Kardashian-Wests and Star live in Hidden Hills, California, as well, but rich people doing rich things is not necessarily new or notable.
Okay, but what about this receipt I just found?Â
All right, pack it up, Sherlock. Star did appear to delete a 2011 tweet replying to Kanye with “last night was so fun! xoxo†yesterday, fans and lurkers noticed. But the controversial YouTuber used to tweet suggestively at several celebrities. Another “receipt†people clung to is an old lyric of Star’s from the 2009 song “Bitch, Please!†In a verse fantasizing about different celebs, he sings (?) “Gave Zac Efron my poker face and left him with chills / And 3OH!3 warned me not to trust you hoes / Sucked off Kanye West, now I’m one of the bros.â€
Then, on January 6, mid-riot, comes a selfie that many fans see as “confirmation.â€Â
Star arrives in full glam and with a premeditated caption. He was so into it, he missed the fact that a whole siege was happening. You have to laugh.
Jeffree Star is still fanning the flames on Twitter. Meanwhile, the Kardashian-West clan has remained silent on this issue, the divorce in general, and the insurrection taking place at the behest of their president. But on TikTok, the chaos is already taking on new life. Ava Louise claims she’s being sued by the family, and beauty influencer Cole Carrigan is posting his own receipts exposing an alleged relationship with Kanye West. Now that we’ve seen what 2021 can do, trust nothing.
What has Star said about this?
Jeffree Star addressed the rumors in a new vlog on January 7, in which he’s mostly just surprised at the whole thing. “I’m single, I’m not sleeping with anyone, this is so weird,†he said. As he went on, he backed up his claim with a reason. “Let me just say this one time for any news outlet: I like very tall men,†Star said. Which, okay! “Me and Kanye have never hung out, and this whole thing is really funny. So I guess if this is the start to my new year, happy new year.†Star also spoke about his move to Wyoming, where he’ll be living for half the year (while keeping his California residence). “It’s amazing here. It is the least populated state in all of America,†Star said (fact-check: true). He also added that he would be opening a product-fulfillment center in the state.
This post has been updated throughout.