Doja Cat has been criticised after hitting out at fans over the nature of their support.
In a series of posts shared on social media app Threads over the weekend, the singer and rapper took aim at fans who use the nickname “Kittenz” to describe the fan community. She has since deactivated her account.
“My fans don’t get to name themselves s***,” Doja – real name Amala Zandile Dlamini – wrote, as reported by Page Six.
“If you call yourself a ‘Kitten’ or f***ing ‘Kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”
The 27-year-old then responded to a fan whose handle featured her full name, saying that it was “creepy as f***”.
While the “Kiss Me More” singer tried to explain that she’d come up with the name when she was “an alcoholic teen” and that’s why she didn’t like it, she infuriated fans more by refusing to tell them that she loved them.
“I don’t though cuz I don’t even know y’all [sic],” she wrote.
She also hit back at a fan who asked what she should change the name to instead, responding: “Just delete the account and rethink everything. It’s never too late.”
In response, a number of leading fan accounts appeared to follow Doja’s advice and deactivated their accounts.
Many fans shared their disappointment in the singer’s comments, with some pointing out that Doja had dressed as a cat and conducted one interview in only miaows at this year’s Met Gala.
“This coming from Doja Cat??? The same woman who was meowing at the Met Gala..?” one commenter wrote.
“I don’t think Doja Cat loves the fame she got, she is actively trying to be forgotten,” another tweet read.
“It’s the fact that she can’t at the very least APPRECIATE the people who made her famous,” one commenter argued.
“Never meet your idols, kids,” another quipped.
Doja Cat at the Met Gala— (Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld)
Some defended the singer, with one Twitter user writing: “You know what I find Doja Cat incredibly annoying but at the same time I’m here for someone actively destroying their own celebrity and also reminding people that you don’t know someone because you enjoy and consume what they create.”
“The Doja discourse is a reminder that many of you struggle with the parasocial relationships you’ve built with artists and the delusional entitlement to ownership you feel over their personal and professional lives,” another commenter wrote.
One social media user said: “Lesson here: stop putting so much stock into celebrities.”
However, one person shot back: “When you make the conscious decision to become an artist you have to show appreciation back to the ppl who supported you along the journey. it’s not an obligation, it’s common sense and courtesy. After all the things Doja has done and said her fans still stuck by her and now [sic].”
The Independent has contacted Doja’s representatives for comment.
