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This impact was felt when Scarlet, her latest album, debuted at a lower-than-expected No 4 on US’ Billboard 200 albums chart, despite its lead single “Paint the Town Red” topping the Billboard Hot 100.

Doja Cat’s career is peppered with contentious moments, from using racial and homophobic slurs to trolling fans, weaving a complex narrative of success and scandal. So how will the artist’s reputation shape her future in the music industry?

Let’s take a closer look at seven of Doja Cat’s most problematic moments ever.

1. Playing down Covid-19, calling it “a flu”

In March 2020 – the month the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic – Doja Cat sparked outrage during an Instagram live session where she poured scorn on those struggling with the coronavirus. The rapper dismissively compared the lethal virus – which has claimed around 7 million lives to date – to the flu, stating, “I’m gonna get corona and then I’m gonna get a Corona, ’cause I don’t give a f*** about corona. B****, it’s a flu. I’m not scared. Y’all are p****, period.”

She contracted the virus in July 2020, and again in December 2021.

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2. Alt-right chat rooms and racist slurs

In May 2020, Doja Cat found herself at the centre of another controversy, this time for using an offensive term in a song from 2015. The uproar began when an old track titled “Dindu Nuffin” resurfaced – with the term used to mock Black victims of police brutality – in the wake of the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement in May and June 2020.

Doja Cat apologised publicly for using the term, explaining that she had learned it from spending too much time in alt-right chat rooms as a teenager. But this wasn’t enough to stop the hashtag #DojaCatIsOverParty from trending online.

3. Her feud with Stranger Things’ Noah Schnapp

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Doja Cat, who had publicly expressed her admiration for Quinn, launched a verbal assault against Schnapp, then only 17, calling him a “snake” and a “weasel”. The aggressive interaction drew public scrutiny, prompting questions about Doja Cat’s decision to ask the teenager to act as her wingman. Doja Cat responded to the uproar, tweeting, “Y’all are so cringe and lame and nobody wants to hang w u that’s why y’all be on here unironically writing replies to s*** that makes you mad.”

4. Dating disgraced Twitch streamer J Cyrus

In 2019 and 2020, multiple users of the gaming live-streaming platform accused Cyrus of emotional abuse and manipulation. With the accusers being mostly female followers and moderators who were significantly younger than the streamer, Cyrus issued a lengthy apology, seemingly admitting to and acknowledging his inappropriate and predatory behaviour.

5. Attacking fans ahead of her fourth album release

Tensions peaked in July when Doja Cat, evidently frustrated, sharply rebuked fans in her comments section, calling them out for being overly involved in her personal affairs. “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or f***ing ‘kittenz’ [a term for Doja Cat’s fanbase], that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house,” she asserted.

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This disconnect deepened when a fan expressed a desire to hear an “I love you” to her fan base. Doja Cat retorted, “I don’t though cuz I don’t even know y’all.” She proceeded to label another fan a “crazy person” after they highlighted the unwavering support she’d received “through thick and thin” from her followers.

The cringeworthy incident led to the artist reportedly losing as many as 500,000 Instagram followers – although she still boasts a hefty 24.4 million follower count.

6. Another offensive song title

Upon the release of her new album in September, many Filipinos noted that she had named one of her tracks “Balut” – a popular street food in the Philippines. “I named the song ‘Balut’ because it signifies a bird that’s being eaten alive,” she explained in an Instagram Story.

That explanation offended many Filipinos, who pointed out that balut is not a live bird, but an embryo that’s cooked before being eaten.

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7. An alt-right fashion moment

Doja Cat’s latest controversy unfolded on October 6, when she sported a T-shirt showcasing controversial internet comedian Sam Hyde clutching a rifle, in a photo posted on Instagram.

Fans quickly voiced their concerns, criticising her seeming endorsement of a figure notorious for perpetuating racist and sexist perspectives. In response, Doja Cat simply reposted the photo, this time cropping out the contentious image, and paired it with a caption featuring multiple eye-rolling emojis.