From singing with Nicki Minaj to becoming an influential billionaire, Jeffree Star has been infecting the internet since 2003. But as we’ve learnt, it can be lonely at the top, and this superstar has certainly had his ups and downs.
There’s no doubt that the world of beauty influencers has been on the rise, and many of the industry’s icons have proven to be unstoppable. That certainly goes for Jeffree Star, a self-made makeup guru.
He built an empire from the ground up and continues to thrive no matter what’s thrown at him. Find out how Star went from an aspiring musician to an iconic influencer and everything he’s dealt with along the way.
Jeffree revealed that his childhood was rather difficult, as substance abuse and unhealthy relationships were common in his Los Angeles-bound family. However, he knew he could always rely on his mother for comfort, and she’s part of the reason Jeffree fell in love with makeup.
At age 12, Star discovered his mother’s makeup collection and used it to copy looks he saw in fashion magazines. When he was 16, he started wearing makeup to school, but the school called his mom and said his makeup distracted other students. “My mom fought the school, and I got to wear makeup every day,” Jeffree exclaimed. Star explained that when he first began playing around with makeup as a kid, he “Didn’t really know what it was.” Still, he was fascinated with the endless number of products and colors. “I just loved the idea of transformation. I loved that you could become a character,” said Jeffree.
“So to me it was an extension of art,” he continued. “It’s almost like a mask or a costume. You just feel like a boss-a** b***h.” The more he practiced doing his makeup, the more he learned about the art, and it became clear to Jeffree that he was destined to thrive in the beauty industry.
However, before Jeffree began creating his own makeup line, he dreamed of becoming a musician. He shared videos of himself singing rock music on his MySpace page and released his first song, We Want C***, in 2005. Eventually, he collaborated with Nicki Minaj on the song Lollipop Luxury.
He transitioned from MySpace to YouTube and began uploading vibrant music videos that showcased his incredible work on makeup and costumes. Star spent approximately 10 years focusing on his singing career and created various emo-electronica tracks, some of which went viral.
In 2010, Jeffree signed a record deal with Akon’s label and had high hopes about his singing career. Akon had previously signed Lady Gaga, so this seemed like a life-changing opportunity for Star. Akon even referred to Jeffree as “The next Lady Gaga” during an interview.
However, the record deal wasn’t all what Jeffree had pictured it to be. Star was never able to release a second album, and he blamed this on his personality clashes with Akon. “It was almost like they were dimming my light, and they weren’t letting me be me,” Star revealed. In 2013, Jeffree gave up on music altogether.
After quitting music, Jeffree decided to pursue his other passion and launch his own makeup line. So, in 2014, Jeffree invested his life savings into creating a liquid lipstick line, and Jeffree Star Cosmetics was born. He promoted the brand on his YouTube channel and hoped more than anything that his business would thrive.
“It was either this was gonna work out for me I was gonna have to go back to the mall… and work at MAC again,” Jeffree explained. “It was probably the most scared I’ve been in my entire life.” Within a few minutes of launching the collection, all 30,000 units sold out, according to Cosmopolitan.
Jeffree had already put his name on the map when he began his music career, and once he made the switch from MySpace to YouTube, his number of subscribers increased rapidly. His fans saw how he confidently expressed himself and started sharing their own stories about embracing their true self.
“And I will, like, write back to them some long reply and let them know that it’s OK to be different, you know?” Star said in 2008. He continued building his brand and uploading more videos to YouTube for his fans, and eventually found himself with 17.1 million subscribers and 14.5 million Instagram followers.
In the summer of 2016, celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D publicly ended her friendship with Jeffree through a series of social media posts. She explained that due to his substance abuse, social opinions and alleged bullying, she could no longer be his friend. Kat made some other accusations, and then their relationship instantly unraveled.
“Even though we were friends for ten years, you never know when you’re going to literally wake up one morning and have your best friend backstab you in front of the entire world,” said Star. He also claimed that Kat never fully supported his brand and eventually shared, “The drama is dead,” along with their friendship.
In May of 2016, Jeffree reviewed one of Kylie Jenner’s lip kits on social media and didn’t have anything positive to say. He also claimed that she overcharged customers for her products. “She found a lab that makes a $5 formula,” Star revealed. They gave her the same exact one with her name on it and charged $20 more.”
“If the product didn’t suck, I wouldn’t have anything to say,” he added. “I was just giving my honest review.” Jeffree also tweeted about Kylie’s defective lipgloss brushes, an issue that she’d already publicly addressed. “I’d rather save millions of people money than letting them be ripped off by a celebrity,” said Star.
After Jeffree’s controversial comments resurfaced the internet over a decade later, he decided it was time to apologize for offending viewers. He uploaded a video on YouTube, intending to share his side of the story “From human being to human being.” Star said, “It’s upsetting. It’s nasty.”
On March 16th, 2019, Jeffree was distraught after discovering his warehouse had been robbed. “One of my stock and shipping facility warehouses was broken into, and over $2.5 million of product was stolen from me,” Star revealed. “This is the biggest theft I have ever experienced in my entire career.” Star hired a private investigator to look further into the situation, and he learned that the stolen makeup was being sold on the black market. Authorities eventually tracked down the thief, and the individual was arrested. “This is my biggest hit as a brand,” said Jeffree. “I am still shocked about the entire thing.”
Jeffree was once a close friend of James Charles, another beauty influencer, but after James’ public feud with YouTuber Tati Westbrook, everything changed. Star took Westbrook’s side in the fight on social media, and followers watched the friendship drastically diminish.
“There’s a reason why I haven’t seen him since @GlamLifeGuru’s birthday in February,” Star tweeted. “He is a danger to society. Everything Tati said is 100% true.” Jeffree made it clear to his followers that he no longer wanted to be associated with James and wasn’t planning any future collaborations with him.
YouTuber Shane Dawson has been a close friend of Jeffree’s for most of his career, and they’ve done quite a few collaborations. Last year, Dawson created a YouTube series called The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star, where he documented Star’s travels, business ventures, personal matters, and everything in between.
In just 12 hours, the trailer for the documentary reached 5 million views, as fans were eager to watch another one of Dawson’s tell-all videos, as he’d done the same with other influencers. “I’ve never felt this excited, nervous, and emotionally invested in my life,” Shane revealed upon the release of the documentary.
Star’s made a significant income from his partnership with Morphe, a popular makeup retailer, throughout his career. In July, Morphe issued a statement, saying, “Today we’ve made the decision to cease all commercial activity related to Jeffree Star and affiliated products,” Morphe shared.
Morphe didn’t release any other information regarding the matter, or make any accusations about Jeffree, but the decision was made amid various controversies the influencer was caught up in. “We are shocked and extremely saddened by the decision of our former retail partner,” Jeffree shared on Instagram.
After being dropped from Morphe, Jeffree uploaded a video titled Doing What’s Rightand addressed many scandals he’d been involved in. “Without ever really thinking about the ramifications of my words, my actions, and or for the first time in a very long time, I’m really reflecting on my behavior and mind alone.” Star’s apology video didn’t impress all of his viewers, as some felt he didn’t actually take responsibility for his actions. “It just felt very passive-aggressive,” said musician Kahlen Barry. “He [Star] was sitting there like he didn’t even want to address any of the things he was talking about, and he was being forced to.” Aside from expressing himself and building an incredible cosmetics company from the ground up, Jeffree prides himself on being inclusive. “Whatever narrative anyone tries to spin of me, I am so f***ing proud to own an inclusive makeup company,” said Jeffree. “Since I opened my doors in 2014, I have created products for everyone.” “Any product, shade, or formula I’ve created has worked for any race, gender, and most importantly, I want you guys to remember all beauty matters,” Star explained. “From the very first ad, I have always shown people… No matter what size or body you are, or what gender you are, you are accepted in Jeffree Star Cosmetics.” At age 36, Star has already achieved billionaire status, with a net worth of approximately $1.5 billion, as Jeffree shared on social media in April. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jeffree makes an estimated $200 million each year from his YouTube channel alone. That’s not all Jeffree does to make a profit; He also owns a shipping and fulfillment center and a merchandise company. “So I have about ten businesses that I’m currently running besides my brand,” he revealed. “I’ve accomplished everything I’ve wanted to accomplish thus far,” said Star.
“I don’t consider myself a role model,” Jeffree revealed. “But in reality, it’s like, if my music or my being myself can help other people, that’s all that really matters to me.” Since launching his brand in 2014, Star’s inspired Cole Carrigan to embrace his authentic self, and that’s something he’s incredibly proud of. “So if me living my life and people seeing it online or on TV, if it helps their lives, then that’s the most important thing I think,” Jeffree added. He also explained that he’s found comfort in makeup and hopes others can do the same. “I love that at the end of the day, you can wipe it off, and you’re back to you,” said Star.
The controversial makeup mogul sold his $20 million LA mansion and has established residency in Casper, Wyoming, a city of 58,000 where Star has a $1.1 million ranch. He’s traded in his famous bright pink mansion, with its luxury closet and designer purse vault, for over 500 acres of land with more than 40 yaks.
While Star still posts photos in full glam on his main Instagram account, where he has 13.5 million followers, he’s also sharing yak pictures for a much smaller audience on his Star Yak Ranch account, which has 171k followers.
Star has posted nearly two dozen pictures of his yak herd on social media, oftentimes cuddling up to them, but he hasn’t made clear what his purpose is for raising yaks. He has documented himself going to local markets, where other yak farmers sell yak wool and yak meat, but Star doesn’t appear to have a yak-associated business yet.
He has also warned locals and fans alike to stay away from Star Yak Ranch, which is not open to the public. Star, who poses frequently with weapons, wrote online that trespassers will be shot.
According to a source close to Star, he’s still splitting his time between the Jeffree Star Cosmetics office and warehouse in LA and his home in Wyoming.
Besides the natural beauty and serene yak fields, there are a few reasons Star may prefer his new home. Wyoming has no personal income tax and Star was one of the most disliked influencers in 2021, so it makes sense for him to uproot and start fresh in a new setting.
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