Dumb Blonde Podcast: TBT – Jeffree Star – The Internet OG

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Bunnie XO
Guest: Jeffree Star

Episode Overview

This deeply candid episode brings together two outspoken icons: Bunnie XO of the Dumb Blonde podcast and the legendary Jeffree Star. The pair dive into complex, hilarious, and sometimes rawly honest territory—unpacking Jeffree's upbringing, trauma, early sex work, internet stardom, self-destruction, reinvention, business success, rural life, and ultimate self-acceptance. With laughs, confessions, and a notable lack of filter, the conversation showcases both the resilience and realness behind Jeffree's headline-making persona. If you think you know Jeffree Star, you haven't heard him quite like this.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Serendipitous Meeting & Shared Loss

• Setting: Backstage in Bozeman, Montana, the two meet for the first time after online exchanges and a shared connection to a friend, Daniel, who recently passed away.
• Bond Over Grief: They reflect on their late friend and how his passing drew them together, setting a tone of unexpected vulnerability.
• [05:03] Jeffree: “I just feel like this was like Daniel’s doing. Possibly, like, pushing us together.”

2. Healing, Self-Discovery, and Sharing the Journey

• Quiet Transformation: Jeffree describes going silent during pandemic drama, leaving LA for Wyoming, entering therapy, and finding a desire to share his healing—not just his scandals.
• [05:14] Jeffree: “I moved to Wyoming. I went to therapy. I really worked on myself, and I was like, you know what? I want to share that journey, not just all the dramatic, chaotic... I wanted to share how I healed.”
• Reflections on Fame: Both share how their public personas mask complicated trauma and survival instincts.

3. Childhood Trauma and Defying Stereotypes

• Upbringing: Jeffree recounts a chaotic childhood in Orange County, the loss of his alcoholic father to suicide, and his mother’s ongoing struggles.
• Sobriety Roots: Despite assumptions, Jeffree has never tried alcohol and remains sober, attributing this choice to his father’s dying plea.
• [08:46] Bunnie: “Did he commit suicide or did he die from cirrhosis?”
• [08:47] Jeffree: “It’s like a tricky line... but suicide.”
• Self-Injury: He opens up about years of self-harm as a coping mechanism for emotional numbness, and how creative expression served as an eventual escape.
• [11:10] Jeffree: “I felt so numb and dead inside. But I never wanted to kill myself—I just wanted to feel something.”

4. Early Sexuality, Identity, and Resilience

• Coming Out: Jeffree recounts his early attraction to boys in elementary school and his first sexual encounters as a preteen.
• Facing Bullying: From fifth grade, he endured derogatory slurs, highlighting the hostile climate for LGBTQ+ youth in the 90s.
• Breaking Norms: His punk rock style, bold hair, and refusal to blend in separated him early on from his conservative environment.

5. The Realities of Sex Work

• Candid Confessions: Both hosts discuss their pasts as sex workers, breaking down common stereotypes and sharing “levels” of sex work in big cities.
• [06:51] Jeffree: “People think, like, escort, they think we’re at the street corner with no teeth… there’s levels to this shit.”
• Craigslist Queen: Jeffree shares about hustling on Craigslist and Backpage, and how these experiences shaped his survival skills and network.
• Never Ashamed: Both emphasize the lack of shame about doing what was needed to survive, “turning dirt into diamonds.”

6. MySpace, Social Media, and Becoming an Internet OG

• MySpace Era: Jeffree was among the first to monetize social media fame alongside figures like Paris Hilton and Tila Tequila.
• [25:01] Jeffree: “Me and Paris Hilton were the first ones to ever make money off of being a social media star.”
• Networking & Hustle: From freelance makeup artist at MAC to hustling clients online, he pioneered early internet marketing and influence.
• Survivor Mentality: Self-taught, relentless, and entrepreneurial, he hustled through LA’s competitive scenes without support, laying the foundation for future success.

7. Music Career & Industry Realities

• Beauty Killer Era: Jeffree’s music, a fusion of electro-punk and rap, took off in the Warped Tour scene—with features from Nicki Minaj and ties to Hollywood Undead and Akon’s Convict Music.
• Industry Challenges: He discusses industry drama—having work and image borrowed by others (notably Lady Gaga), label corruption, and ultimately walking away from “selling his soul.”
• [33:27] Jeffree: “A lot of them chose horrible deals… people call it selling their soul. I’ve always kept my soul.”

8. Building Jeffree Star Cosmetics

• Origin Story:
  • Rejected by potential investors (including Kat Von D, whose later public falling-out hurt deeply), he forged on, securing support from Sumerian Records.
  • Learned every aspect of product development, branding, and web design himself.
  • Launched in 2014 with three liquid lipsticks on Black Friday, selling out rapidly and personally handling every new challenge.
• Resilience: Despite public feuds, betrayal, and drama, Jeffree’s survivor mentality trumps victimhood for business success.
• [50:29] “I paid them back in five minutes... Is anyone going to care? I do a photoshoot in a pink coffin.”

9. Influencer Fame, YouTube, and Burnout

• YouTube Reinvention:
  • Jeffree became a beauty vlogger superstar, unflinchingly open about every aspect of his life—from bare-face tutorials and surgery to relationships and breakups.
  • Amassed 18 million subscribers at the channel’s peak, but ultimately walked away, exhausted by platform drama and the toxicity of “beauty influencer culture.”
  • [53:12] “As I started to heal, the big shock was I’m gonna be bareface on YouTube… I saw what the other girls were doing. So boring. We all know I fuck it, everything I enter.”

10. Public Betrayals & Drama

• Kat Von D Fallout: The 12-year friendship’s implosion—public and betrayal-filled—remains one of Jeffree’s deepest wounds, with no hope for reconciliation.
• Internet “Villain” Era: Ruined by lies, exposed by former friends, Jeffree chose not to air others’ secrets—even when it would have “cleared his name.”
• Calling Out Abuse: Jeffree openly accuses fellow beauty influencer James Charles of predatory behavior, declaring the “demonic snakes” still prevalent in the industry.
  • [65:22] “James… you’re a biggest—he’s the biggest piece of shit in the beauty industry… He admitted to talking to minors.”

11. Rural Resilience: Escaping to Wyoming

• Why He Left LA: The darkness, competition, betrayal, and culture of “using” people instigated Jeffree’s bold retreat.
• A New Purpose:
  • Joins Casper, Wyoming’s small, authentic community; falls in love with its countryside and people.
  • Builds the nation’s largest yak ranch, with pets and a growing meat business serving high-end restaurants.
  • Finds happiness in basic, hands-on living far from the “illusion” of LA.
  • [73:01] “I’m running year nine of the brand. Two years into skin care. I’m raising Tibetan yaks and camels... and the farm life is so fulfilling.”

12. TikTok, Reinvention, and Ongoing Hustle

• Embracing the Next Frontier: Now a top-earning TikTok streamer, Jeffree brings his signature authenticity—and drama—to a new generation of fans.
• Celebrity + Retail: Opens a unique meat-and-makeup shop, working the register himself and breaking retail records in Wyoming.
• Relevancy: Constantly evolves, describing himself as the “Madonna of social media.”
• [75:21] Bunnie: “You’re like the Madonna of social media. You absolutely reinvent yourself.”

13. Love, Loss, and Moving On

• On Love: Jeffree discusses his relationship and painful breakup with Nate, who helped heal his deepest wounds.
• On Healing: Unapologetically single and content, he is open (but not searching) for love again, throwing his energy into his business and land.

14. The “Hot Seat” & Hilarious, Unfiltered Moments

• Sexual Confessions: No holds barred “truth or dare”—from preferences (tall guys, no makeup, no tobacco, 12” dicks), to sex work, to sharing explicit phone pics.
• Humor in Darkness: The two riff on celebrity, sex, NDAs, and their “mogul” status, proving survivor humor is sometimes the ultimate healing force.
• [90:35] Bunnie: “I’ve never seen a happier human with a dick in their mouth.”
• [92:21] Jeffree: “Dislocating jaws since 1985.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Healing & Reinvention:
  • “I moved to Wyoming. I went to therapy… I wanted to share how I healed.” — Jeffree, [05:15]
• On Sex Work:
  • “People think, like, escort, they think we’re, like, at the street corner with no teeth… There are levels to this shit.” — Jeffree, [06:51]
• On Never Drinking:
  • “I’ve never tried alcohol. I never will. My dad died when I was 5; he drank himself to death. He grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘please don’t ever drink. It’s ruined our family.’” — Jeffree, [08:47]
• On Internet Fame:
  • “Me and Paris Hilton were the first ones to ever make money off of being a social media star. I coined Internet celebrity.” — Jeffree, [25:01]
• On Industry Betrayals:
  • “A lot of them chose horrible deals… people call it selling their soul. I’ve always kept my soul.” — Jeffree, [33:27]
• On Forgiveness:
  • “Forgiving is fine. When you get older, you can never go back to someone that stabbed you that hard.” — Jeffree, [46:48]
• On Wyoming:
  • “We discover Casper. It’s a small town, 60,000 people. Everyone’s really nice… I find a property that has a bunch of land for sale. End of the road, no neighbors, really silence.” — Jeffree, [71:08]
• On Hustle:
  • “If I’m given this opportunity, I can’t be lazy one day out of my life.” — Jeffree, [75:50]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [04:00] – Meeting in Montana, the importance of their late friend Daniel
• [05:15] – Jeffree’s healing journey and desire to go public with it
• [07:36] – Growing up in chaos, surviving trauma
• [08:47] – Jeffree’s father: alcoholism, trauma, swearing off alcohol
• [11:10] – Early self-harm, the struggle with feeling numb
• [13:01] – Early sexual experiences, coming out
• [25:01] – Defining the "social media star" era with Paris Hilton
• [31:35] – Transition from music to makeup, the rise of Jeffree Star Cosmetics
• [41:40] – First time smoking weed and its impact on creativity
• [45:28] – Kat Von D fallout, betrayal, and public breakups
• [50:29] – Securing the first investment and selling out the brand launch
• [53:12] – The YouTube era, being barefaced, and embracing authenticity
• [65:22] – Calling out James Charles and refusing to expose others’ trauma
• [71:08] – Falling in love with Wyoming, the yak ranch
• [73:01] – Modern fulfillment: ranching, skin care, business
• [75:10] – TikTok success, relevance, and reinvention
• [83:00+] – “Hot Seat” rapid-fire questions, wild stories, and laughter

Memorable Moments

• Bunnie on Jeffree’s Journey:
  “You’re like the Madonna of social media. You absolutely reinvent yourself.” — [75:21]

• Jeffree on Love After Trauma:
  “When I stopped looking is when it hit.” — [58:07]

• On Building Success Alone:
  “I taught myself everything from the ground up. There was a makeup—I mean, I’m in LA, there’s makeup labs everywhere. People want to work with me, but… I have no investor… I’m still a hustler. Hello.” — [49:48]

• On Never Apologizing for Survival: “I’m never ashamed, ever… people think that we should be ashamed for what we had to do to survive. I’m never gonna apologize.” — [24:24]

• On Legacy:
  “I’m actually proud of myself, so it’s so cool that you said that, because I never really talk about that… I wake up every day like it’s my last, and I just go hard.” — [75:40]

Overall Tone

Blunt, riotous, confessional, and fiercely survivor-driven—with moments of real vulnerability and empathy, especially as the conversation veers from comedy to trauma and back again. Both hosts eschew shame, choosing honesty even when it hurts, and demonstrate what resilience—and self-made success—looks like behind viral posts and dramatic headlines.

For Listeners

This episode is a must for anyone interested in the realities behind internet fame, the grit needed to survive both trauma and stardom, and how reinvention is possible no matter your origins. From self-harm and celebrity betrayal to yaks and sexual humor, Jeffree Star shows—alongside Bunnie XO—that realness and raw honesty are truly healing, and ultimately, contagious.