Viral clip of Doja Cat reignites debate over her treatment of fans

A new clip of Doja Cat has gone viral and restarted a debate over how she treats her fans.

• READ MORE: Doja Cat live in Glasgow: pyros and poise from one of rap’s most interesting protagonists

The tense relationship between the singer and her fans has been ongoing for years now, and she got frustrated with them back in 2022 when people kept reaching out to her and asking of she was OK after shaving her head.

Things escalated in 2023, when she refused to say that she “loved” her fans because “I don’t even know y’all” and described some of them as “creepy”. Then, last year, things got awkward again when she both called out fans who bring their children to her shows, and lashed out at those making rude comments over her appearance.

Now, things have reignited again after footage emerged online of her meeting a fan.

In the clip shared to TikTok, a fan and influencer named Pablo Tamayo was seen filming himself meeting Doja Cat at a bar and sharing his love for her music. He also offered her a shirt from his clothing line and, after she took him up on the offer, he took off his own shirt and handed it to her.

@thisisntpablo

Love you @Doja Cat

♬ original sound – Pablo Tamayo

In the clip, Doja seemed to match his enthusiastic energy, laughing and hugging him. However, shortly after the video was shared, the rapper took to social media to criticise Tamayo for the interaction.

“I threw that musty ass shirt away btw,” she wrote. “Bottom line is I’ll smile at you but it doesn’t mean I fuck w you… and don’t touch me and man handle me when you don’t even fuckin know me.

“I honestly think I need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes,” she added. “And he didn’t even know my fuckin name to be touching me and kissing me on my face like that is crazy.”

Doja Cat addresses recent fan interaction that left her feeling uncomfortable:

“i honestly think i need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes. and he didn’t even kno my f**kin name to be touching me and kissing me on my face like that is crazy.” pic.twitter.com/nrblr0Ni7v

— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) June 14, 2025

Both tweets were later deleted, but they were seen by the fan, who took to his TikTok page again to share his upset and confusion over the comments.

Speaking to the camera, he said: “I understand guys if I was being too nice or whatever I will take full accountability. I’m gay; I would never want to make her feel uncomfortable. She’s so iconic.”

@thisisntpablo

:/

♬ original sound – Pablo Tamayo

The interaction between the two has got fans divided, with some arguing that Doja’s response was justified, while others think she was unnecessarily harsh on a person who clearly admired her.

“Why’s it so hard for some men to know boundaries?,” one wrote, suggesting that the fan was too intense with his behaviour around her, while someone else disagreed and suggested that Doja has a “nasty spirit”.

“She didn’t give him any inclination that she was uncomfortable,” a third agreed, while someone else added: “She was laughing with him, hugging him back, and talking to him like she was having fun. HOW EXACTLY was he supposed to know “actually she hates this” when she was reciprocating everything?”

“I’m not afraid to say it. Doja Cat is 100 per cent in the right about the t-shirt fan thing,” another person on X/Twitter said, while elsewhere someone wrote: “I’d personally be very uncomfortable if a fan of mine just gave me a t-shirt out of nowhere — off their back too !!!”

Check out more responses below.

why’s it so hard for some men to know boundaries?

— Matt (@mattisborntodie) June 14, 2025

Here’s how an actual kind artist treats one of their excited fans. Doja has a nasty spirit.

pic.twitter.com/0tpsRYIegG

— beefy_vibes (@realitybites555) June 14, 2025

She didn’t give him any inclination that she was uncomfortable

— PrincessOfTheMostHigh (@em_marie316) June 14, 2025

She literally blew him a kiss back. Genuinely what do you want men to do in this situation? She was laughing with him, hugging him back, and talking to him like she was having fun. HOW EXACTLY was he supposed to know “actually she hates this” when she was reciprocating everything

— Nova (@DankSoulz3) June 15, 2025

I’m not afraid to say it. Doja Cat is 100% in the right about the t shirt fan thing

— Dawn (@upuntil_dawn) June 15, 2025

right like i’d personally be very uncomfortable if a fan of mine just gave me a t-shirt out of nowhere — off their back too !!!

— archie merc (@theeefairytype) June 16, 2025

and if she was standing off and setting a boundary initially they would still be upset and call her hateful — parasocialism has ruined interactions between fans and artists and it’s an actual detriment to those that choose to put themselves in these situations

— b (@Brew_Stew) June 15, 2025

In other Doja Cat news, the artist has been teasing new music – previewing songs on Instagram for an upcoming album supposedly called ‘Vie’. She shared the tracklist in April, and it’ll mark her first LP since 2023’s ‘Scarlet’.

While she hasn’t dropped a new album since 2023, she did release a collaborative track with Jack Harlow titled ‘Just Us’ earlier this year, which was accompanied by a star-studded video featuring the likes of Matt Damon, John Mayer, PinkPantheress and Succession actor Nicholas Braun.

‘Scarlet’ scored a three-star review from NME which read: “It all adds up to an overlong, slightly repetitive but ultimately compelling album of two halves… Still, by this stage, there’s no doubt that Doja has made her point – that she doesn’t owe us anything but to be herself.”

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