On Sunday (Aug. 6), Doja Cat caught the attention of fans and fellow celebrities alike when she posted a particularly unconventional selfie on Instagram. The close-up photo featured the musician’s face with prominent acne and pink hair. She captioned it, “Thirst trap,” accompanied by a kissing emoji.
Tyrese was quick to express his concern in a comment on The Shade Room’s repost the same day. He shared, “I don’t think this is funny at all. I just hope and pray that somebody who loves her shows up for her to love her from where she is and try and love her into a better self.”
The Fast X actor’s sentiment echoed the worry felt by some of Doja’s followers, although there were many who came to her defense. One user wrote, “Do haters in the comments not have a single funny/memey person in their lives or something?”
Another added, “BRAVE! Many of us choose to believe the fantasy that we have flawless skins, a very underrated self-deception.” Elsewhere, “The Upshaws” star Page Kennedy commented, “When momma bird comes back with a fresh fish to regurgitate to feed you.”
The images arrived days after the release of Doja’s latest music video, “Paint The Town Red.” Moreover, the artist’s nearly five-minute visuals were decorated with various satanic themes.
On the track, she rapped, “Mm, she the devil. She a bad lil’ b**ch, she a rebel. She put her foot to the pedal. It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle.”
While Doja is no stranger to social media backlash, her unpredictable online behavior seems to be a conscious choice. Earlier this year, she told Variety, “That’s just what I’ve grown up with. I’ve been on the internet for 1,000 f**king years, and it’s just part of me: that I need to respond. People think, ‘Oh, if you’re defending yourself, you’re weak.’ But I always rest on, ‘Everyone can suck my d**k from the back.’ If somebody wants to fight me on the internet, I will gladly join in. Balls to the wall. It’s fun for me.”