Doja Cat recently acknowledged the intense fan backlash to her fashion evolution in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. The Grammy winner has been contending with her fanbase for the past month, taking aim at some fans for naming themselves “Kittenz”, leading to a mass exodus of 250,000 followers on Instagram. However, the “Kiss Me More” singer is unfazed by the actions of certain circles of her fanbase, writing on her Instagram Story: “I feel free.” In the Harper’s Bazaar interview, conducted by rap-radio legend Angie Martinez, Doja Cat theorised that because a lot of fans believe they can “take ownership” over the artists they worship, the artists themselves are “not real to them.” She has decided to rebel against this dynamic, culminating in the mass unfollowing of half a million followers. Still, the unfollowing hasn’t put a dent in the rapper’s social media account, which still boasts over 25m followers, according to Social Blade. Despite her harsh words, she expressed gratitude for the fans who have “stood up for [her] or other people” amidst the backlash. Ever since she drastically changed her look by shaving her head and eyebrows, the “Vegas” rapper has been relentlessly attacked by online trolls. Doja Cat - whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini - said that she “really appreciates” the fans who go out of their way to “speak up for someone who is getting bullied,” calling these “some of the most moving moments” she’s experienced as a mainstream artist. She also admitted that her change in style has been a whiplash for her fans, especially for those who feel a sense of “ownership” over her. “There is a shock response that is almost uncontrollable,” Doja Cat said. “I’ve accepted that that’s what happens. So I put my wigs on and take them off. I shave my head or my eyebrows. I have all the freedom in the world.” While Doja Cat noted that she’s in a “kind of chaotic place” when it comes to her sense of style and taste in fashion, she said that she views it as a part of the process of coming into her own. For her, it’s all a product of being in an era of self-discovery. “I’ve just been going into my closet and picking out the most random, weird, not-fitting thing to mix with another thing that does not really fit,” the pop star said. “It’s like mashed potatoes. But I’m embracing that. It’s a little punk. It’s experimental for sure. It’s very manic. But I am going in a darker direction when it comes to visuals and fashion. I have a lot of pent-up feelings and anger, and I want to express it with beauty. I’ve been playing with a lot of prosthetics lately.” Most recently, the pop star wore prosthetics to the 2023 Met Gala honuoring the late Karl Lagerfeld. Her makeup artists used prosthetics to realise her vision of looking like a “humanoid cat” as a nod to the late designer’s beloved feline, Choupette. Her Met Gala look was among many that have pushed boundaries, another being her head-to-toe red paint look, adorned with 30,000 crystals, for Schiaperelli’s haute couture show in Paris last January. Doja Cat also reflected on how her style experimentation has come at a time when she feels more grounded, as part of her overall journey of “learning to love” herself more. “I feel like a woman who is coming into her own,” she said. Read More Doja Cat says she feels ‘free’ since losing Instagram followers over fan controversy Doja Cat says fans feel like they have ‘ownership’ of her: ‘Subconsciously, I’m not real to them’ Doja Cat fans deactivate Twitter after singer hits out at ‘Kittenz’ fan name

TL;DR: As of July 1, get two $100 Restaurant.com eGift cards for just $20 —

Donald Trump has reignited his feud with Megan Rapinoe, hitting out at the football icon after the USA lost to Sweden in the Women’s World Cup. Defending champions USA suffered a shock loss after being knocked out on penalties at the last-16 stage in a dramatic shoot-out. It marks the first time the USA have failed to make it to the semi-finals of the competition. The game went to penalties after the match finished goalless after 120 minutes. During the shootout, Rapinoe sent her penalty high over the bar. Trump, who has hit out at Rapinoe on plenty of occasions in the past, took to Truth Social to criticise Rapinoe after the final result. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter He wrote: “The 'shocking and totally unexpected' loss by the U.S. Women's Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden [sic],' wrote Trump on social media. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close.” He added: “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. “Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” Rapinoe and Trump have been critical of each other on numerous occasions in the past. Back in 2021, Rapinoe hit back at Donald Trump’s claim Team USA would have won a gold medal if they were not so “woke”. “If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze.” Asked about his comments, Rapinoe said: “It’s a real sad dig into an old bag. “I’m just like, ‘You’re rooting for people to do bad?’ Yikes.” Trump singled out Rapinoe in his statement at the time, adding: “The woman with the purple hair played terribly and spends too much time thinking about Radical Left politics and not doing her job!” In 2019, Rapinoe also said that she was “not going to the f***ing White House” if invited by Mr Trump to celebrate the USWNT World Cup win Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Harry Maguire's mother responds to ongoing criticism of her son, labelling the abuse as "disgraceful" and "unacceptable".

'In my apartment, I had a roach that we couldn't kill. He kept getting bigger and bigger,' Snoop Dogg said referring to his pet cockroach 'The Gooch'

Traders are betting on short-term relief for China’s offshore currency, even as global investors predict mounting economic stress

Gregg Popovich evidently doesn’t plan to leave the San Antonio Spurs anytime soon

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has assumed one of the most influential political offices this month

Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show

Carolina Panthers rookie Chandler Zavala suffered a terrifying neck injury on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, he was able to manage a thumbs up.

Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison won a pension fund lawsuit over the company’s 2016 acquisition of rival software

Rheinmetall will open an armored vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, shrugging off concerns other Western defense companies reportedly have about building a presence in the country while it is at war with Russia.