On Sunday (July 23), Doja Cat rattled her fanbase with a surprising confession. After one of the rapper’s fans said that she doesn’t reciprocate the adoration that her supporters shower upon her, she replied with a resounding, “I don’t, though.”
The controversy erupted via Threads when someone asked the “Attention” artist to show admiration for her followers. They wrote, “I wanna hear you say (I do love you guys) as [you usually] say to your fans.” However, Doja replied, “I don’t though [‘cause] I don’t even know y’all.”
Moreover, the musician criticized the self-coined nickname of her following, “Kittenz.” She shared, “My fans don’t name themselves sh*t.” In a now-deleted post reuploaded by Pop Base, Doja continued, “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or f**king ‘kittenz,’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”
Disconcerted by the rapper’s remarks, some of her enthusiasts voiced their discontent with the statement. “And we don’t know you. But we have supported you through thick and thin. Mind you, you’d be NOTHING without us,” one person responded. However, the artist remained steadfast in her position by responding defiantly, “Nobody forced you. [I don’t know] why you’re talking to me like you’re my mother, b**ch. You sound like a crazy person.”
Some fans were visibly taken aback by the 27-year-old’s hostility. One supporter asked, “What should I change my name to then since you don’t like the term kitten?” However, Doja didn’t mince words with her suggestion, “Just delete the entire account and rethink everything. It’s never too late.”
Following the tumultuous exchange, backlash arrived shortly after. Critics denounced her for berating the very followers who helped fuel her fame and fortune. Most notable among the comments was a reference to her cat-themed attire at the 2023 Met Gala, pointing out the irony of her disdain toward the feline-inspired fan moniker.
Notably, the repercussions of Doja’s remarks became evident when several fan pages, including Doja HQ, The Kittens Room, and Doja Cat News, deactivated their accounts.