20 February 2023 , 13:36
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Makeup mogul turned Yak farmer Jeffree Star was never far from internet drama back in the heyday of beauty Youtube. The 37-year-still has over 16 million followers on the platform, despite stepping away from the internet after the community imploded during 'Dramageddon' in 2020.
Star moved to Wyoming to start a farm and has been quiet on social media since - until he returned to the internet last month informing fans he would be filming more makeup reviews.
It wasn't his return that caused a stir but his recent comments on the LGBTQ+ community and specifically people who identify as non-binary and use 'they/them' pronouns.
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The makeup artist has been known to work with some of the biggest names in showbiz (L to R: Jeffree Star, Kim Kardashian) (Kim Kardashian/Instagram)
Star has described himself as androgynous and even has an 'Androgyny' makeup collection (Getty Images)
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On an episode of Taylor Lewan’s Bussin With The Boys podcast, the beauty guru criticked non-binary people and said: "I’m not into all the other bulls***.
"The ‘they’ and ‘them’ pronouns. And all that extra s*** that we added during the pandemic because everyone was so bored in their f***ing houses. They just started to make up more s***."
The 37-year-old added: "That’s why the conservatives like me, because I’m just real. You’re not they and them. You’re trans – you’re male, or you’re female.
"And people get so mad when I say that. How are you a ‘they?’ What the f*** does that mean? It’s stupid."
Star told the host that he was allowed to speak against the non-binary movement because of the way he looks, explaining that if Lewan was to say the same thing "it turns into 'you're homophobic, you hate trans people'."
The Youtuber, who is an openly gay man and currently dating an NFL player, has been known to bend the gender binary himself with his iconic long pink hair and penchant for wearing heels and dresses.
His comments have caused confusion amongst fans since he has previously supported self expression and identity, especially when it comes to make up.
An old video of the Youtuber resurfaced, in which he explains what androgyny means to him. He said: "Gender ambiguity can be found in makeup, fashion, sexual identity, gender identity, anything."
A fan tweeted this video and added: "So just in case it wasn’t already clear, Jeffree Star is the grifter who will throw the entire LGBTQ+ community under the bus if it makes him that bag."
Another user posted the podcast clip and said: "Jeffree Star denying the existence of non-binary people for a minute straight."
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Long term fans were confused at this sudden rejection of gender fluidity, which Star has appeared to champion throughout his career. A second clip surfaced in which fellow Youtuber Shane Dawson asks Star what his preferred pronouns are, as Dawson keeps calling him 'she'.
The Yak farmer replies that he is an "alien" and people can call him "he, she, whatever they want to call [him]".
Some suggested that the collapse of beauty Youtube and his problematic behaviour had "hurt his bank" so the 37-year-old had turned to the "grifter train for the conservatives".
One person said: "The fact the j star went for years saying call me whatever you want to now becoming a conservative grifter because he couldn’t make money on makeup YouTube anymore is not surprising at all."
Never one to shy away from conflict, Star addressed the backlash through his Instagram stories and said: "What we’re not going to do is misconstrue what I said. To anyone making it seem like I said nonbinary people don’t exist, I never said that.
"I said I don’t like the pronouns and I don’t agree with them. I never said that they don’t exist."
He defended his views, claiming he was simple "old-school" so doesn't agree with some things. Star added: "What we’re not going to do is say I’m against the LGBTQ+ community, that’s what I am."