Makeup Brand Morphe Drops Jeffree Star Cosmetics From Its Range As Controversy Continues
Weeks after Morphe removed all Shane Dawson products from its range, the cosmetics company has announced it is also cutting ties with his friend and collaborator, Jeffree Star.
On Friday, the makeup brand said on Twitter: "Today we've made the decision to cease all commercial activity related to Jeffree Star and affiliated products. We expect this to conclude within the coming weeks. As we look to the future, we will continue to share updates on what lies ahead for the Morphe brand."
Soon after, Jeffree Star Cosmetics replied in a statement on Instagram: “We are shocked and extremely saddened by the decision of our former retail partner Morphe Brushes on parting ways with our brand and Jeffree."
It continued: “Over the past 5 years we've accomplished amazing things together and released iconic products. We are proud of everything we've accomplished with them.”
Jeffree Star hasn't made a personal statement yet about the news, though he has unfollowed Morphe on Instagram.
Many saw this coming. Back in June, Morphe pulled Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson's collaboration, Shane X Jeffree Conspiracy palettes, from its website, after videos of Dawson being racist, making jokes about paedophilia and pretending to masturbate to a poster of a then 11-year-old Willow Smith resurfaced. Here's a recap of everything that went down here.
The company wrote in an email to customers that it did not “condone or agree with the actions and behaviour of Shane Dawson”, but said that Jeffree, a frequent collaborator with Shane, had “acknowledged mistakes made in the past and has apologised, taken accountability, and worked hard to make amends within the community.”
Jeffree too has had to reckon with his own problematic history. The YouTuber has made racist statements in the past. He's also been accused of using anti-Semitic and xenophobic slurs and being close to known abuser Dahvie Vanity. Couple all that with fellow beauty YouTuber Tati Westbrook's new video, in which she claimed Jeffree and Shane had manipulated her into making her explosive 2019 ‘Bye Sister’ video, which attacked James Charles; and there's a lot of hot water surrounding Jeffree right now.
Jeffree has yet to directly comment on any of this. He's been keeping a low profile – appearing only on Blac Chyna’s Instagram (in what could have been an old photoshoot) and on Cole Carrigan’s Instagram story.
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