Jeffree Star moved from an LA mansion to a ranch in Wyoming where he raises yaks. Here's how his journey unfolded.
Kat Tenbarge
- In just one year, Jeffree Star traded California luxury for a city in Wyoming.
- The controversial makeup mogul sold his $15 million mansion and bought a yak ranch.
- In Casper, Wyoming, locals say they've benefited from Star's charitable donations.
Over the past year, beauty YouTuber Jeffree Star has entered a new era.
Star, who is famous for his androgynous looks and luxurious Los Angeles lifestyle, moved to Wyoming and started raising yaks.
Star, who is 35, is still operating his cosmetics company Jeffree Star Cosmetics out of LA and splits his time between California and Casper, Wyoming, a city of 58,000 people. But Star is selling his $14.6 million Hidden Hills mansion and has taken up residency in a $1.1 million ranch with more than 500 acres and 40 yaks.
Here's a timeline of the move and how Star has incorporated the cowboy state into his brand.
In August 2020, Star said he was looking for a second home in Wyoming.
Just over a year ago, on August 5, 2020, Star tweeted, "I'm flying to #Wyoming right now and I can't wait to have a second home out here soon!"
It was one of Star's first positive announcements since his return to social media on July 18, 2020, with the YouTube video "Doing What's Right." Star had been caught up in a controversy involving his biggest collaborator, Shane Dawson, as well as his former YouTuber friends James Charles and Tati Westbrook.
The backlash was followed by makeup company Morphe dropping Star and his brand from their stores on July 10.
Read More: A timeline of how the internet turned against the top YouTubers Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star
Star said he was planning to live part-time on "Star Ranch" and write an autobiography.
Star posted a picture of himself with a Louis Vuitton suitcase ready to visit the new "Star Ranch" on August 10, 2020.
Initially, Star wrote that he was going to live part-time on a ranch in order to write his autobiography. He also tweeted on August 24, 2020, that he had flown out members of the Jeffree Star Cosmetics team to celebrate the launch of his "Orgy" makeup collection at the new ranch property.
On September 10, 2020, Star made his first public stop in Casper, Wyoming.
At the same time that Star was teasing his move to Wyoming, he was also teasing a new relationship with a mystery man who was later revealed to be basketball player Andre Marhold. The relationship didn't last long — Star accused Marhold of stealing from him when they broke up, which Marhold later denied — but Star posted pictures of himself taking Marhold on romantic trips to Wyoming.
Those pictures included the first mentions of Casper, Wyoming, the city of 58,000 that Star would eventually settle in.
On September 10, 2020, Star posted pictures to his Instagram story from Casper, including shots of him and Marhold bowling and drinking at a local restaurant.
Local Casper media reported that Star had stopped in Casper, but had already bought a property in Kaycee, Wyoming. The Casper Star-Tribune later reported that Star bought the Kaycee ranch for his mother, with whom he said he reconnected in 2018 after a long period of estrangement.
In December 2020, Star reportedly got his Wyoming driver's license and license plates.
After breaking up with Marhold, Star posted about traveling to Wyoming a few more times, like on November 5, 2020, when he tweeted a picture of his Wyoming view.
On December 7, 2020, he made his move more official but tweeted that he was "never gonna leave Hidden Hills," the swanky LA neighborhood where he had then been renovating his $14.6 million mansion. Star posted a picture of himself in line at Casper City Hall holding California license plates and said he would be splitting his time between the two states.
Local radio station Kiss Casper reported that Star had gotten a Wyoming driver's license and Wyoming plates. The Kiss Casper DJ who reports on Star told the Casper Star-Tribune that Star provides him with information to report on in advance.
On December 20, 2020, shortly after a bombshell Insider report, Star donated $25,000 to a local toy drive.
As Star took steps to become a Wyoming resident, he also avoided addressing new scandals and allegations against him. On October 1, 2020, Insider published an investigation that uncovered accusations of sexual assault and violence against Star.
Shortly before Insider published the claims against Star, his primary sexual assault accuser attempted to recant his story to Insider. On December 7, 2020, Insider published a purported image of a cashier's check that appeared to show the accuser had been paid $45,000 by a Jeffree Star Cosmetics executive.
An attorney representing Star denied the claims of sexual assault and violence against him but didn't respond to inquiries regarding the purported hush-money payment. Star never publicly addressed Insider's investigation or any follow-up stories.
However, just three days after the second Insider story was published, Star appeared in a rare on-camera interview in Casper.
Star celebrated his "official" residency in Wyoming and announced he had donated $25,000 to a local holiday toy drive for a children's non-profit organization.
Star also told the radio station that he enjoyed living "off the grid" in Wyoming. He said that places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, were "too tourist-y" for him and that he enjoyed the peace and quiet of Casper.
Star also said that he planned to open a fulfillment center in Casper.
When asked about his California businesses, Star told Kiss Casper that he planned to take his "west coast" business to the "midwest." Specifically, Star said he planned to open a product fulfillment center that would ship out of the Casper area, bringing local job opportunities.
Since then, the Casper Star-Tribune reported that Star has begun operating out of a warehouse he opened in a nearby town. The fulfillment center is in connection with Star's line of marijuana-inspired accessories and clothing items, Star Lounge.
According to the Star-Tribune, it's unknown how many employees Star has hired out of the Casper area to work in his new warehouse. However, Star has since filed a self-titled LLC out of Wyoming that is active as of March 8, 2021. He also filed to trademark "Star Yak Ranch" through his Wyoming LLC in August 2021.
This year, Star started to share his $1.1 million Wyoming ranch in videos.
By late December 2020, it had been reported that Star moved into a 70-acre, $1.1 million ranch in Casper. Real estate listings say the house has 6 beds, is nearly 5,800 square feet, and has a separate garage attachment. Publications like Dirt previously identified the ranch as Star's, and the address is listed on LLC filings reviewed by Insider.
Starting in early January of this year, Star began using his Wyoming property as a focal point in his vlogs and makeup content on his YouTube channel. In one January 12 video, Star tested out a $68 Gucci foundation by wearing it while shooting a pink AR-15 at a local Casper gun range.
At the same time that he professed his new love for Wyoming, Star maintained that he would continue to live part-time in LA. Toward the end of 2020, Star showed renovation efforts in his $14.6 million mansion, and in January he added a new custom pink Rolls Royce to his car collection in California.
On April 16, Star got in a car crash in Casper and posted pictures in a neck brace.
Star's experiences in Casper took a turn on April 16. That day, he tweeted a picture of himself in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace, holding his friend Daniel's hand.
According to Star, he and Daniel hit black ice and flipped three times while Star was driving. That afternoon, a representative of the Wyoming Medical Center told Insider that Star was in "stable condition" there.
A representative of the Wyoming Highway Patrol told Insider that the patrol was alerted to a crash a little after 8:30 AM and that road conditions were slushy when officers reached the scene of Star's accident. Star and Daniel, who has posted about his stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, were transported to the hospital by ambulance.
Star later wrote that he was in "excruciating pain" and had broken his back. Star was discharged the next day but Daniel posted that he experienced internal bleeding and needed to stay longer.
After his April car accident, Star said he was changing his life and priorities.
The week Star got in his car accident, he was also promoting the launch of his new marijuana-themed Star Lounge brand. Just four days later, on 4/20, Star announced a line of themed smoking accessories like "stash jars" and "grinders."
The timing between the new product launch and the accident caused some critics to speculate on whether Star had faked or exaggerated details of the accident. He denied these criticisms on his Snapchat story and called the incident "one of the worst experiences of [his] life."
Just a month later, Star shocked his long-time fans by announcing he was selling his LA mansion and moving to Wyoming as a full-time resident.
In a video announcing the decision, Star said that he had been struggling with his mental health and needed a big lifestyle change.
Star told Entertainment Tonight that he was leaving California for some "peace and quiet."
Just like Star told the local Casper DJ back in December that he liked the "peace and quiet" in Wyoming, Star told an "Entertainment Tonight" anchor on June 25 that he was leaving California after 35 years to move somewhere he could find "peace and quiet."
The reasons Star gave ET for his move were that he said he felt like he'd lived many lives over the course of his LA-based career and needed to get away from the hustle and bustle. Star said that his business headquarters would remain in LA, where the warehouse for Jeffree Star Cosmetics has been since 2016.
"I love the outdoors," Star told the entertainment publication.
In regards to dating in Casper, Star told ET that a lot of people "stick to their high school sweethearts." He also said that he didn't use dating apps and was "fully single" after ending his five-year relationship with Nathan Schwandt in early 2020.
On June 28, Star launched a social media presence for his yak ranch.
On June 28, Star created a Facebook page called "Star Yak Ranch." On July 6, he launched the Star Yak Ranch Instagram account.
Both pages have Star's smallest followings by far. On YouTube, he has 16.3 million subscribers; on Instagram, he has 13.5 million followers, but the new yak Instagram has 72,000 followers and the new Facebook page only has 6,300 followers.
Star posts pictures of his yaks, which have names like Blossom and Snowflake. He has posted about buying yaks from multiple local yak farmers, continuing his newfound Casper tradition of shouting out local artists, craftsmen, and business owners.
On Facebook, Star also announced that he had bought another 70 acres of land — claiming that this brought his lot to over 500 acres and 40 yaks.
On August 4, Star filed to trademark yak products like yak yarn and yak meat.
Star seems to have ambitious plans for his yak ranch. On August 4, Star's new Wyoming-based LLC filed to trademark Star Yak Ranch, and the application is pending approval.
According to the public filing, Star plans to sell natural yak fibers (yak yarn can be made from yak fur), clothing, edible pet treats made from yaks, butcher shops and butchering services, and breeding and stud services for yaks.
It seems like the yak ranch — which isn't open to the public yet — is fertile ground for new business opportunities for Star, whose LLC is registered to his home address in Casper. Wyoming is known for having no personal income tax.
Now, Star is gaining attention again for his yaks and pastoral lifestyle.
Never one to disappear for long, Star's plan to live "off the grid" in Casper has turned him into a local celebrity and continued internet phenomenon.
The Casper Star-Tribune reported that Star has gained favor in Wyoming by impressing Casper locals with generous donations.
Not only did Star give away $25,000 to a local toy drive in December 2020, but in August, Jeffree Star Cosmetics co-sponsored a free Wyoming Symphony Orchestra concert.
At the concert, Star said on his Instagram story that he would be handing out free mini eyeshadow palettes themed after his ranch.
Then, on August 27, Star released a launch video announcing that he would begin selling the 9-pan palette with shade names like "Star Creek" and "Ole' Jeff."
While Star has made an online performance out of his drawn-out move from California to Wyoming, complete with positive press and attention-grabbing headlines, the path from LA mansion to yak ranch isn't as uncharacteristic as Star may make it seem.
The new property brings lush wilderness views and a tight-knit community, but Star is still using his new resources and cowboy-chic image to make money and sell products to his makeup-loving fanbase.
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