The Doja Cat controversy spans several events surrounding the Grammy-winning artist. The controversy is wrapped up in her personal relationships, social media posts, and actions toward fans, which have all drawn criticism in recent years.

At Business2Community, we’ve gathered news articles, interviews, and screenshots of deleted social media posts to better illustrate the Doja Cat controversies. In addition to bringing all controversies into one complete article, you’ll also find information about their consequences and business implications.

Doja Cat Controversy – Key Facts

  • Doja Cat was criticized for being involved with controversial figures, dismissing her fans, and making satanic references.
  • The rapper highlighted that she is not influenced by others’ views on her personal life and changed her artistic style in her latest album Scarlet.
  • Despite the controversies, Scarlet’s lead single Paint the Town Red became a No. 1 Billboard single in 2023.

The Story of the Doja Cat Controversy

Doja Cat is considered controversial for several reasons, including her song references, associations with controversial figures, and behavior toward fans.

Below is more information about the singer and the controversies surrounding her:

Who Is Doja Cat?

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, better known as Doja Cat, is an American rapper of Jewish and South African descent. She has 19 Grammy nominations nominations and 1 win.

Screenshot from grammy.com, showing the number of awards and nominations Doja Cat has

Throughout her career, she has released four studio albums:

  • Amala
  • Hot Pink
  • Planet Her
  • Scarlet

She said, when talking about her projects before Scarlet:–

I have been making music that is palatable, marketable, and sellable, and that has allowed me to be where I am now.

She also suggested that she was moving away from pop music and that Scarlet included “rap, soul, and R&B with jazz elements.”

Doja Cat’s Association with Controversial Figures

In October 2023, Doja Cat posted a selfie on Instagram in which she was wearing a t-shirt with Sam Hyde’s face on it.

Sam Hyde is a controversial comedian and YouTuber, who is known for donating $5,000 to a neo-Nazi website in 2017. When talking about the reason for donating the money, he told the Los Angeles Times in a phone interview, “I want reporters to know I make more money than them.”

Doja Cat deleted the photo and reposted it after cropping the t-shirt out. In the caption of her cropped selfie, she used several eye roll emojis.

Hyde isn’t the only controversial figure Doja Cat has been associated with. In early 2023, she was spotted kissing musician and Twitch streamer J. Cyrus, who has been accused of grooming and manipulating minors. Several fans called her out on dating Cyrus, but she blocked them and said she did not care about their opinions.

Doja Cat Racism Controversy

In 2020, the singer was called out for titling a 2015 song Dindu Nuffin, a slur against black people.

She publicly apologized, saying “I’ve used public chat rooms to socialize since I was a child. I shouldn’t have been on some of those chat room sites, but I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations. I’m sorry to everyone I offended.”

Around the same time, a video of her participating in an alt-right chatroom started circulating. This upset many fans and caused the hashtag #dojacatisoverparty to trend on X.

In a separate Doja Cat controversy, some of her Filipino fans found it offensive that she named one of her 2023 single Balut, a dish from the Philippines. Doja Cat said the song was named Balut as it signified a bird that’s being eaten alive, making a reference to Twitter becoming X. However, the dish is actually a cooked and fertilized duck egg eaten from the shell.

Doja Cat Fans Controversy

Doja Cat criticized her fan base for calling themselves “kittens”. In a now-deleted Threads post, she wrote “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or f*cking ‘kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”

doja cat kittens threads

When a fan asked her to say “I love you” to her fans, she wrote, “I don’t though cuz I don’t even know y’all”. This created the sentiment that she did not like her fans.

Doja Cat responded to the claims that she hates her fans in an interview with Ebro. “You’ll never see a direct quote of me saying ‘I hate my fans.’ Not once. But it’s a really big misquoted thing,” she said.

@dojaverses

interview with ebro#dojacat #doja #fyp #planether #amala #hotpink #SCARLET #dojaverses #applemusic #ebro

♬ original sound – dojiana

Doja Cat and Noah Schnapp Controversy

In July 2022, Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp leaked his DMs with Doja Cat on TikTok. In the messages, Doja Cat asked the then 17-year-old actor to introduce her to his co-star Joseph Quinn. Schnapp shared the messages on TikTok without Doja Cat’s permission.

The singer went live on TikTok to comment on the incident. “The fact that Noah did that. Like, went and posted a private conversation between me and him is so unbelievably socially unaware and whack. That’s like borderline snake shit, that’s like weasel shit,” she said.

Some people stood with Doja Cat, saying Schnapp was wrong to leak private messages. Others criticized the rapper for asking a teenager to set her up with someone.

Doja Cat Demons Controversy

Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, stirred up controversy when it was released in September 2023, with many fans and critics accusing her of promoting satanic imagery.

In the music video of Scarlet’s third single, Demons, Doja Cat is dressed as a demon. Another example comes from the video of Paint the Town Red, where she stands next to the Grim Reaper and wears devil horns. Doja Cat performed both songs at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023.

@noahglenncarter

People are upset with Doja Cat because of her new video Demons #foryou #dojacat #demons

♬ Creepy and simple horror background music(1070744) – howlingindicator

In addition to her music videos, she was also criticized for her all-red Paris Fashion Week look and monster tattoo.

While some view it as an artistic statement, others argue that she joined a trend of celebrities making satanic references.

The Consequences of the Doja Cat Controversy

By August August 2023, Doja Cat’s Instagram follower count had dropped by over 500,000. This is likely the consequence of all the controversies, from telling fans to get a job to releasing controversial videos.

dojacat instagram followers

However, the singer did not seem affected by the fact that she lost followers:

“Seeing all these people unfollow makes me feel like I’ve defeated a large beast that’s been holding me down for so long and it feels like I can reconnect with the people who really matter and love me for who I am and not for who I was … I feel free,” she wrote in an Instagram story. She then deactivated her Instagram account, saying she did not feel good on the platform anymore. her account is once again active with recent posts.

A 2023 Salon article wrote, “The singer has alienated fans but still sits at the top of the charts,” talking about how Doja Cat chose to sell controversy. Despite the controversies, Scarlet’s lead single Paint the Town Red rose to No. 1 on Billboard in its fifth week, becoming the first rap number 1 in over a year.

Salon article titled "Doja Cat's new polarizing, dark side cashes in on how controversy always sells"

What Can We Learn From the Doja Cat Controversy?

We can apply Doja Cat’s controversies to a business context to gain valuable insights into partnerships and marketing techniques:

  • Be careful who you’re affiliated with: Doja Cat faced backlash for her affiliation with controversial figures like Sam Hyde and J. Cyrus. While she still managed to secure a Billboard No. 1 single afterward, not all brands survive after controversial partnerships. When partnering with influencers or collaborating with brands, make sure they align with your values.
  • Controversy can be a marketing technique — but it’s risky: Some critics argue that Doja Cat has used controversies to keep her name in the headlines. While we do not know for sure, using controversy is a common marketing technique. For business owners, controversial statements can stir interest, like how PETA has stirred controversy. However, it’s important to note that they’re not always worth the risk, especially if they focus on short-term gains rather than long-term reputation.

FAQs

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