Jeffree Star was called a 'notorious racist' by rapper Yung Gravy after the mogul used his song in an Instagram story
- Beauty mogul and YouTuber Jeffree Star used rapper Yung Gravy's music in an Instagram story.
- Yung Gravy reposted then removed the clip, saying he "didn't realize" Star was a "notorious racist."
- Star has faced accusations of racism for years due to past problematic behavior.
Rapper Yung Gravy has been reposting a series of Instagram stories of his fans using his song "oops!", which has become a viral hit on TikTok. Some TikTokers have danced to the track, but it is typically used to show a dramatic transformation - someone in pajamas who looks like they have just woken up suddenly appears in a full glam makeup look when the beat drops, for example.
Among the stories was a video of beauty mogul and YouTuber Jeffree Star, who is one of YouTube's most controversial creators due to his history of public feuds and reputation for inserting himself into other people's drama. He has over 13.5 million Instagram followers and 16.5 million YouTube subscribers. In his Instagram post, Star can be seen walking down his staircase in a robe, then after throwing his bag onto a sofa his outfit changes to a red coatdress, and his previously bare face now features a smokey eye and scarlet lip.
However, Yung Gravy, whose real name is Matthew Raymond Hauri, said he deleted the post when he realized who the "pink hair guy" was.
Hauri, 25, rose to fame in 2017 with his songs "Mr. Clean" and "1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot" on SoundCloud. He gained recognition for his trap music with a humorous twist, and now has nearly 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
"Didn't realize he was notorious racist Jeffree Star," Hauri wrote in a follow-up story. "We don't approve of that activity."
Star, who has a cosmetics empire reportedly worth millions, is frequently entangled in controversy and has faced accusations of racism for years. Last summer, he posted an apology video called "Doing What's Right" after his audience wanted him to take accountability for his problematic past. However, the video focused mostly on his feud with fellow influencers James Charles and Tati Westbrook (Westbrook had posted an explosive video accusing him and Shane Dawson of manipulation and gaslighting) rather than past racist actions.
Two Black women, influencers Jackie Aina and MakeupShayla, have said Star made derogatory, racist, and threatening statements towards them between 2016 and 2018. Over the years Star has also been filmed hurling racist slurs on several occasions. He has apologized for some of these instances, most famously in a 2017 YouTube video entitled "RACISM," in which he said his past comments were "disgusting, vile, nasty and embarrassing."
Star has never publicly addressed the people who have accused him of sexual assault, physical violence, and hush-money offers, as was documented in an Insider investigation.
In July 2020, makeup retail company Morphe said that it would "cease all commercial activity" with Star and his brand Jeffree Star Cosmetics, following backlash against Star and fellow influencer and collaborator Shane Dawson over resurfaced clips of racist and otherwise problematic behavior.
Insider has reached out to Jeffree Star and Yung Gravy for comment, but they have not yet responded.