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ClosedОбновлено August 30, 2026 at 05:02 AM

Jeffree Star vs Kat Von D: Friendship Breakup, BJ Betts Logo Dispute and Later Revivals

Jeffree Star and Kat Von D were close friends for roughly a decade, with Von D tattooing much of Star's body and naming a lipstick shade after him. Their relationship collapsed publicly in July 2016. Von D announced that she wanted to disassociate herself from Star and cited what she described as inappropriate behavior including drug-related conduct, racism and bullying. Her detailed YouTube explanation focused most concretely on artist BJ Betts, whom she had introduced to Star during the early development of Jeffree Star Cosmetics. Von D alleged that Betts created logo work used by the brand and had not been paid. Star disputed that framing, saying Betts had done early concept work but had not designed the final entire packaging system, and he denied stealing Betts's logo. On July 20, Betts himself stated that the matter with Star had been amicably resolved, while Star said Betts had been paid. Star then published a twenty-three-minute response accusing Von D of omitting context and acting with malicious intent. In October 2016 Star praised Von D's tattoo work and said the drama was dead in his eyes, but there was no mutual public reconciliation. The feud revived in 2018 after Von D replied 'Jeffree who?' to a viewer and Star responded in FULL FACE OF BRANDS THAT HATE ME, criticized her for the continuing availability of the lipstick shade bearing his name and mocked her then-public vaccination position. Star made another joke about Von D in 2020. No later direct reconciliation or sustained new two-sided conflict was identified through August 2026.

Timeline

16 events
EventPEOPLE EN ESPAÑOL · CONTEXTVerified by the editors

Jeffree Star and Kat Von D began a long-term friendship and creative relationship

Later retrospectives date Star and Von D's friendship to approximately 2006. Von D became one of Star's principal tattoo artists, and the two were publicly associated for roughly a decade. Von D also named an Everlasting Liquid Lipstick shade 'Jeffree' after him. The exact first date of the friendship is not independently documented to the day, so this event uses the year-level date preserved by later reporting.

Here's the rundown on the Kat Von D & Jeffree Star beef ↗
Checked January 1, 2006 at 06:00 AM
EventSEVENTEEN · CONTEXTVerified by the editors

Jeffree Star launched his cosmetics brand and worked with BJ Betts on early logo concepts

Jeffree Star Cosmetics launched in 2014. Von D later said she had encouraged Star to enter cosmetics, introduced him to manufacturing contacts and introduced him to artist and tattooer BJ Betts for branding work. Star agreed that Betts had done early logo work but disputed Von D's claim that Betts created the final branding used across the entire line. These details are competing accounts of the early business relationship.

Jeffree Star Says Kat Von D Has 'Malicious Underlying Intent' in New Video ↗
All sources2
Checked January 1, 2014 at 06:00 AM
EventPEOPLE EN ESPAÑOL · CONTEXTVerified by the editors

Von D said she learned that BJ Betts had not been compensated and confronted Star

Von D later said she learned around July 16 that Betts had not been paid for early design work and contacted Star about it. According to her account, Star rejected the accusation, told her off and blocked her. Star later showed his own version of their text exchange and argued that Von D had misrepresented the business arrangement. Because the conversation was private and both sides interpreted it differently, this event records the existence of the dispute rather than accepting either interpretation as complete.

Here's the rundown on the Kat Von D & Jeffree Star beef ↗
All sources2
Checked July 16, 2016 at 06:00 AM
Start of the conflictTEEN VOGUE · INITIALVerified by the editors

Kat Von D publicly ended her friendship with Jeffree Star

Von D posted a crossed-out image of Star and said she wanted to disassociate herself from him and his brand. She cited what she described as years of inappropriate behavior, including drug-related conduct, racism and bullying, and apologized to people she believed had been affected by Star's negativity. She also said she intended to remove the 'Jeffree' lipstick shade from her collection. These accusations were Von D's public characterization of Star and were not established by the post itself.

Kat Von D Ends Friendship with Jeffree Star on Social Media ↗
All sources2
Checked July 19, 2016 at 06:00 AM
StatementYOUTUBE ARCHIVE / ORIGINAL ID · STATEMENTPrimary source

Von D published Jeffree Star: It's so much easier to do the right thing

Von D released a roughly fourteen-minute video explaining the breakup. She accused Star of mistreating fans and other people in the beauty industry and made the BJ Betts payment dispute the most concrete recent example. Von D said she had introduced Betts to Star, that Betts produced logo concepts used in Star's branding and that Star had failed to pay him despite follow-up attempts. She also disputed Star's claim that she had never supported his cosmetics business and described ways she said she had helped him. The video presented Von D's account and did not independently establish ownership of the final logo.

YouTube04:36Video sourceJeffree Star: It's so much easier to do the right thing.Open on the platform ↗
All sources2
Checked July 19, 2016 at 06:00 AM
ResponseREFINERY29 · RESPONSEVerified by the editors

Star disputed Von D's claims in a series of public posts

Star responded that he and Von D had barely spoken for months, accused her of becoming distant after he launched his brand and said she had accused him of something untrue. He initially said he did not need to make a response video, then announced that more details would follow. Star also denied stealing a logo and publicly maintained that his relationship with Betts was fine. These were Star's immediate counterclaims before his longer video response.

The Kat Von D & Jeffree Star Drama Just Went Nuclear ↗
All sources2
Checked July 19, 2016 at 06:00 AM
UpdateSEVENTEEN · UPDATEVerified by the editors

BJ Betts said his dispute with Star had been amicably resolved

Betts publicly stated that the matter between himself and Jeffree Star had been amicably resolved and that he would make no further comment. Star separately said Betts had been paid for the work he performed. Betts's statement verifies that a payment or settlement issue existed and was resolved, but it does not independently determine whether Von D's original description of ownership, nonpayment or the final logo was fully accurate.

Jeffree Star Says Kat Von D Has 'Malicious Underlying Intent' in New Video ↗
All sources2
Checked July 20, 2016 at 06:00 AM
ResponseYOUTUBE · RESPONSEPrimary source

Star published DEAR KAT VON D: IT'S EASIER TO TELL THE TRUTH

Star released a twenty-three-minute response presenting text messages and disputing much of Von D's account. He acknowledged that Betts had started design work but said he could not afford the proposed arrangement at the time and had not hired Betts to design the entire final packaging line. Star denied stealing Betts's logo, said the matter had since been resolved and accused Von D of leaving out context and acting with malicious underlying intent. He also alleged that Von D had privately undermined him with other cosmetics-industry figures. These counterclaims were Star's account and were not independently adjudicated.

YouTube04:36Video sourceDEAR KAT VON D: IT'S EASIER TO TELL THE TRUTH.Open on the platform ↗
All sources2
Checked July 20, 2016 at 06:00 AM
ResponseINQUISITR · RESPONSEVerified by the editors

Von D emphasized that Betts was paid only after the dispute became public

Von D responded to the resolution by apologizing to Betts for the public hassle and saying she was glad he had finally been paid. In an earlier post she had said Betts told her Star contacted him with a settlement proposal shortly after her video was published. The timing point was Von D's interpretation of why the payment occurred; Betts himself only publicly confirmed that the matter had been resolved.

Kat Von D Apologizes For Jeffree Star Drama As Pal Gets Paid ↗
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Checked July 20, 2016 at 06:00 AM
UpdateYOUTUBE · UPDATEPrimary source

Star praised Von D's tattoo work and said the drama was dead in his eyes

In The Jeffree Star Tattoo Diaries: Part 1, Star discussed the many tattoos Von D had created for him. He said he would never disrespect her art, praised her as an exceptional portrait tattoo artist and thanked her for the work covering much of his body. At the same time, he continued to say she had backstabbed him. Star stated that the drama was dead in his eyes. Von D did not issue a matching public reconciliation statement, so this was a unilateral de-escalation rather than a restored friendship.

YouTube02:18Video sourceTHE JEFFREE STAR TATTOO DIARIES: PART 1Open on the platform ↗
All sources2
Checked October 26, 2016 at 06:00 AM
ResponseFASHIONISTA · RESPONSEVerified by the editors

Von D revived the feud with a Jeffree who? Instagram reply

During June 2018, a viewer commented on one of Von D's Instagram posts or videos that Jeffree Star was probably watching. Von D replied 'Jeffree who? ;)' The short comment renewed attention to the old friendship breakup. A precise day within June was not preserved by the strongest available retrospective source, so this event is recorded at month-level precision.

YouTube Beauty Drama 2018 ↗
Checked June 1, 2018 at 06:00 AM
ResponseYOUTUBE · RESPONSEPrimary source

Star reignited the feud in FULL FACE OF BRANDS THAT HATE ME

Star published FULL FACE OF BRANDS THAT HATE ME and discussed Kat Von D Beauty at length. He called the relationship an open wound, accused Von D of having spread false claims about him and responded directly to her 'Jeffree who?' comment. He also pointed out that the lipstick shade named after him remained available through parts of Von D's retail ecosystem despite her 2016 statement that it would be removed, and he criticized her lack of complete control over the brand. The video represented Star's renewed framing of the feud, not an independent finding about Von D's business control or motives.

YouTube01:42Video sourceFULL FACE OF BRANDS THAT HATE MEOpen on the platform ↗
All sources2
Checked July 17, 2018 at 06:00 AM
UpdateYAHOO · UPDATEVerified by the editors

Star also mocked Von D over her then-public vaccination position

In the same period, Star posted additional material mocking Von D's stated intention at the time to raise her child without vaccinations. This expanded the feud beyond the original logo and friendship dispute into a new personal criticism. Von D later publicly changed her position on vaccination, but that later change was separate from the Star feud.

Jeffree Star calls out Kat Von D about vaccinations ↗
All sources2
Checked July 17, 2018 at 06:00 AM
CommentarySEVENTEEN · UPDATEVerified by the editors

Star made another public joke about Von D in Shane Dawson's beauty-industry video

In footage included in Shane Dawson's The End of the Beauty World, Star joked that Dawson should ask Von D to tattoo their collaboration logo and added that she 'needs work.' The remark showed that the old feud was still available as a public punchline years after the 2016 breakup. It did not establish a new substantive dispute or a direct Von D response.

Jeffree Star Shades Kat Von D and Jaclyn Hill in New Shane Dawson Video ↗
Checked January 22, 2020 at 07:00 AM
ReactionYOUTUBE · REACTIONPrimary source

Cid Dwyer published a long-form retrospective on the feud

Commentary creator Cid Dwyer published Revisiting Jeffree Star VS Kat Von D: The MESSY End of a Friendship, reconstructing the friendship, BJ Betts dispute, Star's response and the 2018 revival. The video was third-party retrospective commentary and did not contain a new direct interaction between Star and Von D.

YouTube01:42Video sourceRevisiting Jeffree Star VS Kat Von D: The MESSY End of a FriendshipOpen on the platform ↗
Checked November 29, 2022 at 07:00 AM
Latest updateReactionPEOPLE EN ESPAÑOL · REACTION2 confirmations

People en Español republished a detailed historical timeline of the feud

People en Español published an updated retrospective reconstructing the relationship from the beginning of the friendship through the 2016 public split and the BJ Betts resolution. The article did not report a new reconciliation, accusation or direct interaction. It is included as later documentation showing the conflict remained part of beauty-influencer history.

Here's the rundown on the Kat Von D & Jeffree Star beef ↗
Checked December 11, 2023 at 07:00 AM