Addison Rae's Most Controversial Moments
If there's one thing you should probably expect to plague an influencer today, it's controversy. There have been too many cases to count of internet famous faces being cancelled for all sorts of reasons, from the downfall of the likes of Shane Dawson to the multiple times makeup artist Jeffree Star has found himself canceled.
And it turns out Addison Rae isn't immune to a controversial moment or two either, as one of the most recognizable and most followed internet stars of today. As of June 2022, Rae boasts a wildly impressive 40.4 million followers on Instagram and almost 88 million over on TikTok, where her videos have been liked 5.7 billion times. Yes, you read that correctly. Billion. It should come as no surprise that all that content and clicks have turned into cash, with Rae having an estimated net worth of a whopping $15 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
With all those eyes on her every single day, Rae was bound to make a bit of a slip up sooner rather than later — and it's safe to say she's found herself in the middle of quite a few media firestorms over the years.
The Charli D'Amelio shade
Let's kick things off with some serious shade — and the apology that followed. Addison Rae and Charli D'Amelio are two of the most recognizable and popular influencers of their generation, so it was only natural that they'd be compared, right? This dates back to November 2019 after Rae liked a number of controversial comments about Charli on TikTok (where else). "I mean [Charli] is pretty but the prettiest girl on TikTok? No, definitely not so who start the hype about her," one liked comment read, according to J-14, while Rae also liked a comment questioning why Charli had a verified account and Rae didn't.
Naturally, all of that didn't go down well with Charli's equally TikTok famous sister, Dixie D'Amelio. Rae's likes resurfaced in June 2020, which is when Dixie appeared to address them on Twitter. "Charli deserves better," she tweeted, also seemingly claiming Rae was jealous of her sister. As for Charli? She appeared to cryptically address the drama by tweeting, "teehee i'm chillin."
Rae apologized on Instagram for liking the comments, writing in a since-deleted post (via People), "I didn't know [Charli] and hadn't met her. THIS IS NO EXCUSE." She claimed she was in a bad place at the time, adding, "It's SO gross and makes me really sad to think about to this day. But, I do know that I've loved and supposed Charli since the day I met her."
Thank U, Next, Bryce Hall
In June 2021, fans suggested Addison Rae may have been throwing shade at her former boyfriend, Bryce Hall, on Instagram with a sizzling bikini photo and a very telling caption. The carousel of photos, which has since been deleted, was paired with the caption "thank u, next" (via Cosmopolitan). We know you know what that means, but just in case, she was borrowing a line from Ariana Grande's 2018 hit about moving on from former beaus.
But that wasn't the only time the star was accused of throwing a little shade her ex's way. Fans then speculated she was rubbing salt in the wounds of the breakup when she made out with her "He's All That" co-star Tanner Bunchanan on stage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in May 2021. Twitter was flooded with messages about how Hall was probably feeling and he seemingly responded in a cryptic tweet: "sucks, but moving on."
We're not quite done there, though. Fans also thought Rae may have shaded him again after he lost a boxing match during a lie detector test for Vanity Fair. The outlet asked her, "Hypothetically speaking, would you consider someone getting knocked out in a pay-per-view boxing match, karma?" Rae then replied, "No," though the test came out with a "not sure" response. Not to mention that time Hall talked about their relationship on IGTV series "Sway Life" and she commented (via Seventeen), "This is very one sided."
Rae vs. Valkyrae
Another day, another drama for Addison Rae. This one has to do with her controversial skincare range, which arrived a few months after influencer Valkyrae launched a similar line. In October 2021, Valkyrae launched RFLCT, which was aimed at gamers as it was supposed to help protect them from the effects of blue light. She faced some criticism though, per Dot Esports, with many social media users claiming the product overinflated the apparent dangers of the light given off by screens. Gamer Hasan even took aim by stating on Twitch, "I don't believe that blue light is destroying your skin in the way that the RFLCT product presents itself. It's f*****g soap." The line was then discontinued amid the controversy around two weeks later, per Gaming Bible.
Make way then for Rae to come out with her own skincare line in February 2022 — with products that aimed to protect against blue light. Valykrae clearly wasn't happy about the move and tweeted in response, "IM REBRANDING TO JUST VALKY LOL HOW IS THIS REAL?! I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same company."
Some social media users also suggested Rae's product seemed to be almost exactly the same as a product Valkyrae had previously launched and had pulled from the shelves, while plenty of social media users criticized its unique selling point by claiming it just wasn't necessary. "This is the same scam all over again. Just trying to grab peoples money for false promises," one person even tweeted.
Addison Rae's Donald Trump controversy
Addison Rae and Donald Trump BFFs? Yeah, not exactly. However, rumors began to spread in July 2021 that Rae could have been a supporter of the controversial former president after she was spotted going up to him at a sporting event and introducing herself. In the video, which was posted on YouTube by Nelk in July 2021, Rae approached the ex-president, tapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Hi! I'm Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi. So nice to meet you." After that, Daily Mail reported some social media users made it clear they wanted her to be canceled. They believed her fraternizing with Trump went against some of the values she's claimed to have stood for before, including being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
But it didn't end there. As BuzzFeed News reported in 2021, it appeared as though Rae liked a slew of controversial tweets in 2016 supporting Trump and slamming Hillary Clinton. However, her team denied Rae ever saw or liked the posts.
In August 2021, Rae denied being a Trump fan to the Los Angeles Times. "I don't feel comfortable talking about that... I don't support Trump. And if someone does, that's their opinion and I respect everyone's opinion, for each their own. But it's very rare on occasion that you ever get to meet a former president," she explained. Rae also clarified, "Introducing myself does not mean I stand behind anything that any respective person condones."
The TikTok dance drama
Now onto one of Addison Rae's most famous controversies, which garnered plenty of intense media attention. In March 2021, the star appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to teach Fallon some viral TikTok dances. The feature went viral after viewers accused Rae and Fallon of failing to credit the people who came up with the dances, many of whom are Black. On Trevor Noah's "The Daily Show," Dulcé Sloan said of Kourtney Kardashian's pal, "It is interesting that a girl that was stealing Black culture was hanging out with the people that be stealing Black culture"; Sunny Hostin tweeted, "This is a miss @jimmyfallon. Let's give credit to the black creators......"
Fallon later addressed the controversy by inviting the original dancers onto "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" virtually to discuss their craft and what they created, while Rae spoke about the intense backlash to TMZ while chatting with paparazzi. "I definitely don't do them justice. They're all so amazing," Rae said. She also claimed that she never intended to not give credit where credit was due to those who worked hard to create the dances, adding, "They definitely deserve all the credit, because they came up with these amazing trends."
Addison Rae shared an All Lives Matter video
Addison Rae faced some pretty serious allegations in 2020 when Daniella Perkins posted the YouTube video "becoming addison rae ft. shawty the baddest." In it, she outlined some accusations about Rae, including claiming the "Obsessed" singer had shared a video created by another social media personality that promoted All Lives Matter over the Black Lives Matter movement. Perkins also included a clip that appeared to show Rae saying the n-word to a friend, while also accusing her of blackfishing — which led some social media users to share photos of her wearing darker makeup.
The resurfacing of the controversial material understandably caused quite the stir on social media, and Rae issued a lengthy apology on Twitter where she stated that she regretted sharing the aforementioned video that promoted All Lives Matter messaging. "Because of my privilege, I didn't understand and wasn't educated enough on the social injustices facing the Black community. All lives CANNOT matter until Black lives do," she added. "The Black community was and continues to be oppressed and damaged by systemic racism," Rae continued in part, before signing off her statement, "I am truly sorry and I am committed to using the platform you all have given me to work on becoming a better ally. I love you all endlessly."
Did Addison Rae use the Kardashians?
What really went on between Addison Rae and the Kardashians? You may remember that Rae and Kourtney Kardashian raised a few eyebrows when they became fast friends in 2020, mainly because of their 21-year age gap. Their bond had Kourtney's sisters a little curious, as Kim Kardashian even asked on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" if the twosome were dating (they weren't); Khloé Kardashian remarked on another episode, "Kourtney and Addison's dynamic is just a little... interesting."
The general public was equally confused, as many accused Rae of using the famous family for fame. "Sooo..we aren't gonna forget the time when Addison literally used the Kardashians for clout.. aren't we, right?" one person tweeted, while another Twitter user speculated, "Addison Rae hired the kardashians to give her enough clout points so that she could hand out to other people and she slowly loses it the lamer she goes but reups her clout at a-list events and with a list celebs to be paid to hand it out again."
Neither the Kardashians nor Rae appear to have publicly commented, though we know Rae gave the famous family some content for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." In one Season 20 episode, Rae could be seen helping Kourtney prepare for the end of the world as they tested out a bunker, while snaps of the two raked up millions of likes on Instagram.
That TikTok ban
Imagine a world where Addison Rae isn't allowed on TikTok. Well, that almost happened. Back in October 2021, despite being one of the biggest stars on the platform, Rae was temporarily banned from the hugely popular video sharing platform. She hopped on Twitter to share that she'd been kicked off of TikTok because she'd apparently violated the app's guidelines. "Well time to get a job," she joked.
Fortunately for all of us who are glued to our phones, despite the threat of her account being taken down forever, Rae's TikTok was back up and running a few hours later. It was never officially confirmed why she got banned, though some social media users speculated it was because she shared a video to her account that was just a little too sultry to meet the video sharing site's guidelines.
Twitter users began recirculating a video Rae shared to TikTok shortly before her account was taken down, which showed the star wearing a plunging blue mini dress as she showed off her dance moves. Rae began by filming her face, but then moved the camera down to her lower half as she swiveled her hips. The clip went viral on Twitter, having been viewed more than 321,000 times as of June 2022.
Addison Rae's red carpet furor
Though Addison Rae is a staple and pretty much any red carpet these days, she hasn't exactly always been the most welcome. She faced backlash in September 2021 when it was revealed she'd be attending the prestigious Met Gala, which takes place annually at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event is seen as one of the biggest and most exclusive in the fashion world, with A-Listers desperate to get an invite (you may even remember all the rumors surrounding why Khloé Kardashian didn't walk the red carpet until 2022). There's been much speculation about how much it actually costs, though Page Six claimed in 2017 one ticket is priced between $30,000 and $50,000. A source also alleged Vogue Editor Anna Wintour has final say on everything, noting, "Anna is extremely restrictive on who can buy a ticket. Many people I know who are friends, [and] who have the money to pay, have been turned down. Anna decides they can't go. Period." See, we told you it was exclusive.
So when Rae and fellow influencer Emma Chamberlain both scored invites in 2021 (and returned in 2022), Twitter had plenty to say. When one user, for example, wondered why the former was in attendance, that post alone received more than 4,000 likes.
When The Hollywood Fix asked Rae about the Met Gala drama, she replied, "Anyone who supports me, I love you, and thank you for everything. It means the world, and I couldn't do this without you guys!"