Jeffree Star's Latest Food Controversy, Explained
Jeffree Star rose to fame in the mid-2000s, and since then, he's accumulated a massive following and adopted a variety of different niches. Though the star recently entered the food industry, he previously obtained a hefty MySpace presence and also had a career in electronic music (via Insider).
However, the social media star is most notably known for being a top beauty and makeup influencer. He started his self-named YouTube account in back in 2006 and has amassed about 16 million followers since then. He also has a successful makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, which was worth a total of $1.5 billion in 2021 (via SK Pop).
Perhaps having such extensive entrepreneurial pursuits in the past is what prepared the mogul to move on to his latest endeavor, which has garnered quite a bit of controversy on the internet. And considering Star's make-up line is vegan (per Insider), his social media posts might be frowned upon by some of his fans.
Star claims his meat business and makeup company are separate
Star has entered the meat industry, as he has decided to raise and slaughter yaks for a new business venture called, "Star Yak Meat." Star formally answered questions about this endeavor on his YouTube account, in a video titled, "The TRUTH About the Star Yak Ranch!"
Star explained that on his ranch in Wyoming, he tends to yaks that fall into one of two buckets — yaks that are pets and yaks that are raised for food. While the yaks who are pets have names and roam on a private part of Star's lot, the yaks who will be slaughtered are unnamed and are only fed grass (via Insider). While this is on our list of exotic meats you should try before you die, some don't agree.
In the comment section of the Influencer's YouTube video, he received some criticism from the plant-based community, as his cosmetic company is vegan and cruelty-free. "It is so sad that they end up slaughtered. I know you and others eat meat so if they don't eat the yaks they will eat some poor other animal," commented one user. While some are unhappy over the fate of the Yaks, others in the comments are applauding Star's new venture.
Star says that moving to Wyoming is what inspired the launch and stated how his makeup company and this business are separate entities. Furthermore, Star states that he's adopted the farm-to-table lifestyle since his move, and he is sharing that through "Star Yak Meat."