What is Karmageddon?

Dramageddon 3 seems to be upon us. However, some are calling it karmageddon. What is the difference? In my opinion, karmageddon started about three weeks ago and evolved into a full blown dramageddon when Tati Westbrook dropped her video yesterday. This article will outline everything that led up to dramageddon 3, with a follow up article dropping tomorrow outlining everything happening in dramageddon thus far.

While Jeffree Star had been in drama a few weeks prior to karmageddon (there was the Dahvie Vanity scandal and his controversial launch of the Cremated collection), I am marking June 11th as the official date that karamageddon popped off. June 11th is the day that Sanders Kennedy, a commentary/ drama channel YouTuber, uploaded a video statement made by Tab David, who is an ex-friend of Jeffree Star.

In his statement, Tab mentions how much Jeffree has changed since their days of being friends during the MySpace era. Jeffree was surrounded by an entourage, which was a new experience for Tab as he had not seen his old friend for a number of years. Some antidotes of note from this video is Jeffree taking Tab to go shopping in Hermes where a discussion of exotic furs and skins is brought up. As well as Tab having a peculiar conversation with a body guard of Jeffree’s.

This bodyguard had been let go from his previous position in Miami as an officer for racist conduct. Jeffree allegedly sought this man out and hired him despite his racist past. He also mentions specific antidotes of Jeffree not being a good friend to Rich Lux while they hung out together.

Rich Lux is a drama channel personality who is known to be friends with Jeffree Star. Tab mentions how during their time hanging out in Jeffree’s hotel after they saw a concert together, that Rich came up to give Jeffree a Valentine’s Day gift. As soon as Rich left the room, Jeffree made rude comments about the Hermes gift Rich Lux gave him stating that “it was the cheapest [item] in the store.” Rich Lux quickly made a statement saying that he and Jeffree were joking. And despite Rich’s fans feeling bad for him for the things Jeffree had said behind his back, Rich defended Jeffree Star.

Tab goes on to say that Jeffree body shamed mutual friends, which many people assumed was him alluding to Trisha Paytas who was dragged into the drama due to accusations against Jeffree stating that he had body shamed her in the past. Tab seems genuine in the video and it seems like he is in pain to make this video. He pleads with Jeffree to leave the internet, take a step back, and to do better. His accusations brought forth previous allegations of racism and hatred spread by Jeffree in the past via tweets and statements he had made during both his MySpace and beauty guru days.

On June 12th, Kam uploaded a video on his IGTV (staying off of his YouTube channel) where he shared his experience while working for Jeffree as both a model and being a “friend” of Jeffree Star’s. Kameron Lester worked as a model for Jeffree Star Cosmetics and did a few video collabs on Jeffree’s channel surrounding a foundation launch for Morphe (which is a makeup company that Jeffree Star is rumored to either be a co-owner of or an investor for the company).

In the video Kam mentioned how he felt used by Jeffree as a token black model in his campaigns, and didn’t feel as if Jeffree really ever treated him as a friend. Kam also revealed how on multiple occasions that Jeffree Star had asked his opinion on James Charles. Kam mentioned how he had no ill will towards James as he had helped him to tell his HIV story and to branch into the beauty industry. To which Jeffree responded that Kam didn’t “owe James forever.”

During one of his hang outs with Jeffree during their infamous Vegas trip, Kam mentioned how Shane Dawson had called Jeffree Star to rant about James Charles. During the conversation that Kameron overheard, Shane called James “fake” and mentioned how he “needed to be humbled”. Looking back now on the events of dramageddon 2, Kam feels that it is possible that Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson concocted dramageddon 2 in an effort to take James Charles down. With this video as their ignition, drama channels were quick to search for evidence to back up the claims that Kam made.

A day or two after Kam uploaded his video, drama channel Ashley Kyle, uploaded a video calling Jeffree Star out. She admitted to being on his “payroll”. In this context “payroll” does not mean being on salary or being employed in any way by Jeffree Star. Ashley was placed on the coveted Jeffree Star Cosmetics PR list (which she received the Conspiracy Collection, Blood Lust, and the Cremated Collection, after the Blood Lust collection Ashley tried to be removed from the PR list and decided to donate the palette to a women’s shelter. She was surprised to receive the Cremated collection and reached out for clarity, for some reason she was not removed from the PR list. She again donated the palette to a women’s shelter). She also received insider information from Jeffree Star. Ashley stated that Jeffree fed her information before the other drama channels, and this was corroborated by drama channel Dustin Daily, where Jeffree mentioned to her that Tati may be making a video. She also heard rumors of a voice memo going around that proved that James Charles was a predator, and was fed tea by Jeffree that defamed James Charles. Ashley ended the video by vowing to do better and to not sell out, that she will hold everyone to the same level of accountability.

The following day, drama channel Nick Snyder uploaded a video further corroborating Ashley Kyle’s claims, as well as stating that he had been placed on the Jeffree Star PR list, but that it was only for the Conspiracy Collection. Nick stated that this may have led him to be biased in the past, but that he had begun to witness troubling behavior from both Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson, and that it was time to hold them accountable.

In the fall out from Kam’s video, a voice note was leaked from Jeffree Star where he made fun of Kam for being single. Trisha Paytas also entered the arena about a week after Tab’s video, however, she initially claimed that everything was fine. That she knew he may have body shamed her, but that she seemed upset with Tab for even telling her about the situation. And how it effected her mental health and really upset her. However, a week after that, Trisha went back on her word. She confirmed that the DMs that came out about the Vegas trip were true. She revealed that she had in fact been body shamed by Jeffree and that she is “no longer a Jeffree Star fan.”

And finally, cue Blaire White, a YouTuber who gained popularity through her friendship with Shane Dawson. Blaire states that Jeffree shared the infamous voice note with her. This note allegedly is from a YouTuber who is a victim of sexual assault or harassment by James Charles. Blaire claims that she reached out to the victim and can confirm that an incident did happen. And that there is another anonymous, well known YouTuber – that Jeffree did not display any receipts or proof for –  who was also sexually assaulted by James Charles. Blaire states that she believes these claims, but that she is disgusted the Jeffree Star is going around the internet telling everyone that he has this voice note which contains such sensitive information. This video, in my opinion, seems to have been the launching point for dramageddon 3, which prompted Tati Westbrook to upload her video after two and a half months of silence.

So what does this all mean? To be concise, this pattern of behavior has revealed a few things: that these people who are speaking out have done so after being afraid for a long period of time and that it would appear that Jeffree Star’s pattern of cruel behavior will continue until they make a real, true change. That Jeffree Star has not changed, and that these people, his ex-friends/ acquaintances, are publicly pleading with him to do the right thing.

Does this mean that we should cancel Jeffree Star? No. In my opinion, cancel culture does not yield the results that the general public desires. Cancel culture will not force Jeffree to change, because if it could, Jeffree would have changed a long time ago considering how many times they have been cancelled. I do believe that we need to hold Jeffree accountable and to make Jeffree aware of this pattern of behavior and that now is the time to change, before Jeffree loses it all for good.