On Sept. 22, in now deleted tweets, rapper CupcakKe tweeted several questionable statements about several celebrities. She was put on Twitter’s Hot Seat for her comments about several pop artists, including K-Pop Idol Chungha and individuals who were presumed to be Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Afterward, she temporarily deactivated both her Twitter and Instagram accounts.

CupcakKe first tweeted about an anonymous pop artist from a prominent girl group, calling her racist, stating, “Yes sis …. I f***** your man … & I did it on purpose since your [SIC] racist.”  Twitter assumed this artist to be Camila Cabello, who was previously accused of  anonymously making racist comments toward ex-band member, Normani. Moreover, the man was assumed to be Shawn Mendes, Cabello’s current partner.

The rapper continued to tweet about the couple, making references to, “the one that’s dating that fine gay guy.” The audience once again assumed the rapper was commenting on Mendes, proposing Mendes was gay, despite him stating several times that he is heterosexual.

CupcakKe also made comments harassing K-Pop Artist Chungha, while retweeting a video of Chungha dancing, saying, “THEY CANNOT DANCE… These the dances I do when I got to pee foh [sic].” She then proceeded to make a joke pertaining to Chungha’s name, saying, ”Who? Chungha? Are you asking me do I chew gum ??? I’m confused.” 

CupcakKe, the same night, went on to Instagram Live and announced her retirement from the music industry, although fans are not sure how permanent that decision was. 

CupcakKe has been known to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Black American equality movements, and sex positivity, but her recent actions undermine her status as an advocate for social change. 

 CupcakKe has made other racist remarks in the past,such as posting a selfie in 2017 captioned, “Me and my Chinese EYES <3.” CupcakKe then also retweeted a photo of an Asian male captioned “Eyes low from smoking the trees behind me” when the rapper was asked to caption it. Both of these comments refer to the shape of Asian eyes and they have underlying tones of racism, whether intended by CupcakKe or not. While this happened back in 2017 and an apology was issued, CupcakKe’s choice to  make fun of Asian names (Chungha) falls in the same category. While CupcakKe has proven herself to be an activist, she contradicts herself by making fun of a Korean name and making comments about Asian eyes. 

She also assumed the sexuality of a man (presumably Mendes), which goes against CupcakKe’s efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community, such as her song “LGBT”, which encouraged acceptance and normalization of the LGBTQ+ community. While CupcakKe has shown that she clearly supports the LGBTQ+ community, assuming someone’s sexuality, especially when said person has stated several times that they identify as straight, can be perceived as offensive and can reinforce stereotypes of gay men and femininity. 

With “cancel culture” on the rise, many were quick to “un-stan [unfollow]” CupcakKe after these recent incidents. Intentionally or not, CupcakKe has made several insensitive remarks about multiple minority groups, making her at least appear homophobic or racist. This recurring theme is giving fans a reason to do so, even with the indefinite work she has done for minority communities.  

Despite CupcakKe’s efforts as a social activist, she is now seen as a hypocrite. She preaches equality, yet her tweets from the past, and now present, are having people question what she truly stands for. CuppcakKe is clearly against discrimination; however, this is not reflected through her comments towards Asians. While CupcakKe should not be outright shunned or “cancelled,” she can no longer be seen as a holistic advocate. Her tweets, which may have initially seemed inconsequential, can be observed as a valuable lesson about how one projects themselves online. Because of this, it is important to think critically about what before posting online, as it not only affects the individual, but also the masses.