Jeffree Star’s celebrity career migrated across collapsing platforms before founding his cosmetics brand

Evidence

Star first came to prominence in the early 2000s as a somewhat goth, queer MySpace musician and self-made makeup artist from Orange County, with photos and songs posted to the platform, gaining him a large following on early social media. Star’s popularity on MySpace placed him in the ranks of similar social media celebrity pioneers who crossed over from their online popularity into deals with record labels and MTV—many of whom are now mostly forgotten, such as Tila Tequila, or are nostalgic remnants of a very specific MySpace style and image, like the band Millionaires. This early period in Star’s career culminated in the release of the 2009 studio album Beauty Killer through a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, an album that featured a guest spot by Nicki Minaj and made its way onto the Billboard 200.24 After his music career came to an end—which, Star claims, left him essentially bankrupt—he founded his makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, in 2014. As MySpace collapsed and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram came to prominence, Star moved to these newer platforms, successfully continuing his role as a popular internet celebrity known not only for videos about makeup and beauty but for bullying, harassing, or otherwise instigating conflict with other influencers, reality stars, and musicians. — Grant Bollmer, Katherine Guinness, The Influencer Factory, 294