Celebrities Who Can't Stand Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey is no stranger to feuds. Recently, the "Video Games" singer got in some major heat when she shared a note to Instagram calling out several other female musicians, including Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé. Del Rey said that these musicians "have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, [having sex], cheating etc."
Meanwhile, in the same note, Del Rey claimed that she gets crucified for singing about similarly messy topics, with accusations of "glamorizing abuse." Her comment received a ton of backlash on social media, with people pointing out that Del Rey mostly called out women of color in her criticism.
Del Rey followed up with another Instagram post defending herself, saying that her post wasn't at all controversial and that it had nothing to do with race. However, other people didn't feel the same way about it, and it looks like Del Rey's recent post has already caused conflict with Ariana Grande.
Whether or not readers agree with Del Rey's statements, her recent Instagram activities are indicative of a larger theme running through her career: Lana Del Rey isn't shy to call people out. In fact, because of this, there's a whole list of celebrities who can't stand her.
The artist formerly known as Lizzy Grant
When Lana Del Rey first embarked on her career, she was often accused of being fake. In fact, The Guardian pointed out in 2012 that her real name was Lizzy Grant and her shift to reinvent herself as Lana Del Rey had been bankrolled by "a millionaire father who has backed her career." Questions arose around Del Rey's authenticity, both in regards to her artistic pseudonym but also her physical appearance, with people wondering about the possibility of lip injections.
However, The Guardian was also quick to point out that the creation of a "stage persona" is actually a very effective strategy for artists. According to the outlet, "David Bowie and Madonna are notorious shape-shifters. So is Lady Gaga. Changing from Lizzy Grant to Lana Del Rey is not unusual when you consider that Bob Dylan's real name was Robert Zimmerman and Iggy Pop was born James Osterberg."
While this is a common tradition among musicians, it's important to note how Del Rey's rise to fame was marred by the heavy criticism that seemed to follow her.
Lana Del Rey has been called out for romanticizing death
In fact, Lana Del Rey's privilege was the subject of a notorious feud with rapper Azealia Banks back in 2018. Del Rey dissed Kanye West for supporting Donald Trump. Banks called out Del Rey in a since-deleted threat of tweets, saying: "You, a privileged white woman, have no f—ing business opening your mouth to a black man from Chicago, telling him what he should and shouldn't f—ing believe in" (via W Magazine).
But it's not just Del Rey's privilege that has prompted criticism from other celebrities. In an iconic and rather controversial interview with The Guardian in June 2014, Del Rey was promoting her album, Ultraviolence, and said, "I wish I was dead already." According to the article, Del Rey was talking about two of her heroes at the time: Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain.
This statement caught the attention of Frances Bean Cobain, Cobain's daughter, who called out Del Rey on Twitter, saying: "The death of young musicians isn't something to romanticize. I'll never know my father because he died young, and it becomes a desirable feat because people like you think it's 'cool.' Well, it's f***ing not. Embrace life, because you only get one life. The people you mentioned wasted that life. Don't be one of those people. You're too talented to waste it away" (via Rolling Stone). It's a fair point!
Eminem name-dropped Lana Del Rey in a shocking verse
On November 10, 2014, Eminem released a video of a new freestyle to promote his album, Shady XV, according to Entertainment Weekly. In it, Eminem raps that he wants to punch Lana Del Rey in the face while simultaneously referencing the 2014 NFL conflict where Ray Rice was caught on tape "punching Janay Palmer, his then-fiancée, and dragging her unconscious out of an elevator," according to CBS Sports.
Eminem raps: "But I may fight for gay rights, especially if the d**e is more of a knockout than Janay Rice/Play nice? B***h I'll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice in broad daylight in the plain sight of the elevator surveillance" (via Bustle). The whole incident was super uncomfortable, with Entertainment Weekly calling Eminem's verse "a patently tasteless freestyle."
That wasn't the only time Del Rey got name-dropped in a rap song. More recently, her ex, G-Eazy tried to roast her in his song "Moana," which came out in 2020. According to the Mirror, G-Eazy rapped: "I know a Keisha and I know Lana, they try to get me back, but I'm like, 'No, nah, nah.'" He added, "I'm sorry, I don't want no drama, nah, that's a hard no, pass."
Clearly, Del Rey has had her share of detractors over the years. The drama may not be over just yet (or ever), but this massively popular singer is always able to hold her own.