'Your Republican is showing': Fans of TikTok star Addison Rae launch campaign to CANCEL her after viral video of her saying hello to Trump at UFC 264
TikTok superstar Addison Rae's fans have launched a campaign to cancel her after she excitedly greeted Donald Trump at the star-studded UFC 264 fight in Las Vegas last weekend.
In footage uploaded by YouTube channel NELK earlier this week, Rae was seen approaching the former president as he watched the UFC bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier from his ringside seat on July 10.
Rae is seen tapping Trump on his shoulder before introducing herself and shaking his hand.
'Hi! I'm Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi, hello. So nice to meet you,' she says in the footage.
It's not clear what Trump said to her in return.
The greeting caused a stir on social media, fueling speculation among Rae's devout fanbase about her political affiliation - a topic first brought up in 2019 when she was accused of registering to vote as a Republican.
Rae shot to fame in 2019 uploading dance videos to popular songs on TikTok. Now, she has almost 82 million followers and is worth around $5million.
In footage uploaded by YouTube channel NELK earlier this week, Rae was seen approaching the former president as he watched the UFC bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier from his ringside seat
Rae is seen tapping Trump on his shoulder before introducing herself and shaking his hand
'Hi! I'm Addison. Nice to meet you. I have to say hi, hello. So nice to meet you,' she says in the footage. It's not clear what Trump said to her in return
Footage of the encounter divided opinion on social media with the woke Twitter mob calling for the 20-year-old star from Louisiana to be canceled while others leaped to her defense.
Several Twitter users slammed Rae over the greeting, with comedian and YouTuber Chris Klemens saying she had revealed her political affiliation, writing: 'Oopsies Addison… your Republican is showing.'
In a follow-up post, he quipped: 'Word on the street is Addison Rae's song Obsessed is about Donald Trump actually.'
Others called for her to be canceled with some reveling in the idea.
'#addisonrae whatttttttt hand covering mouth, face screaming in fear I feel like she's gonna get canceled again I would bet my five dollars on this,' one person tweeted.
'addison rae getting cancelled for shaking donald trumps hand is in my top 10 moments of 2021,' added another.
Many took issue with her public support of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements which they said was at odds with her desire to meet the former president.
'not Addison Rae being one of the biggest performative activists last summer and now her willingly going up to Trump to introduce herself and talk to him,' one person wrote.
Addison Rae (pictured left on Saturday) had an unlikely run-in with former president Donald Trump (pictured right on Saturday) over the weekend as the pair each attended the star-studded UFC 264 fight in Las Vegas
Trump is pictured at the UFC fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier Saturday
Another agreed: 'Miss Addison Rae how you stealing from black creators and shaking hands with trump and saying 'it's so nice to meet you' ermmm the math ain't mathing.'
Rae has come under fire on TikTok for failing to give black dancers due credit when recreating their work.
In March, she performed several viral TikTok dances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, including Savage, Corvette Corvette, and Laffy Taffy, without crediting any of the creators of the dances - who were black.
However, several fans shot to the defense of the popular TikTok star and slammed the people who took issue with the brief encounter.
One Twitter user wrote: 'Addison Rae being cancelled for saying hello to trump is why people vote trump. Far left American is just as ridiculous as right.'
Another person agreed, chiming in: 'if you care that addison rae said hi to trump then you are probably a loserr.'
'As much I dislike Addison rae, she shouldn't get cancelled for saying hi to president Trump,' added another.
'In my top 10 moments of 2021': Many users took to Twitter to react to the brief meeting as some even believed that Addison would be 'cancelled' over it
'Oopsies Addison… your Republican is showing': Comedian Chris Klemens had one of the most popular reactions on social media as he believed she had revealed her political affiliation
'As much I dislike Addison rae, she shouldn't get cancelled for saying hi to president Trump': There were several, however, who came to the defense of the popular TikTok star
One Twitter user pretended to be shocked by Rae greeting Trump
'Couldn't be me': Many users sounded off on the brief encounter
Mixed: It drew mixed reactions from the TikTok superstar's devout fanbase, with a few fans speculating about her potential political affiliation - a topic that was first brought up and shutdown by the star early in her career
Some fans questioned 'what is wrong with' Rae introducing herself to Trump while others disagreed that it indicated any sort of political allegiance.
'You kids need to grow up and realize folks can agree to disagree and still show respect,' the person added.
Another Twitter user wrote that they 'dont like trump but seeing a former president in front of ur eyes hell imma say hi too wtf.'
'I love Addison Rae now,' tweeted out one Twitter user, seemingly impressed with Addison's conduct.
While the footage of the brief introduction sparked fierce debate among many, other people expressed bemusement over how Rae appeared to have made it past Trump's team of secret service agents.
'How does a random person just walk walk up and touch a person with secret service protection?' one person asked.
'Is nobody surprised how she casually just strolled up on the former president and tapped his shoulder where the secret service at?' added another.
Disgusted? One Twitter user described the clip as 'disgusting' and that they were put off by Addison 'casually saying hi and fangirling over a racist piece of sh**'
Not adding up: 'why would she want to say hi?? It ain't adding up,' read one critical tweet, who suggested that Addison's support of the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice movements contradicts her apparent desire to meet Trump during Saturday's fight
A new fan: 'I love Addison Rae now,' tweeted out one Twitter user, seemingly impressed with Addison's conduct
What's the big deal? Coming to Addison's defense, one fan asked those angered by the clip to explain exactly 'what is wrong with' her introducing herself to Trump, adding: 'You kids need to grow up and realize folks can agree to disagree and still show respect'
How? Others moved past the outrage and, instead, wondered just how Addison was able to successfully make it past Trump's secret service agents
We need answers! 'How does a random person just walk walk up and touch a person with secret service protection?' read one concerned tweet, with another writing: 'Is nobody surprised how she casually just scrolled up on the former president and tapped his shoulder where the secret service at?'
Rae has not addressed her meeting with the former president or the uproar.
Instead, she has continued to post on social media as usual, with her most recent post being a series of backyard portraits.
This isn't the first time Rae has come under fire from her fanbase when it comes to politics.
While the TikTok star has never publicly disclosed her political preferences, speculation has been rife that she is a Republican.
Back in 2019, a TikTok user shared a video claiming to show her voting record.
It showed she had allegedly voted Republican in 2014, 2016 and 2018 in Tarzana, California.
Rae slammed the video as fake, said she had not registered to vote and that her home state was Louisiana - not California.
'This isn't real... First I'm from Louisiana, second I'm not even registered to vote and never have been I'm actually doing it for the first time with someone important and I'm excited to do so. This is fake,' she wrote at the time.
The legal voting age in the US is 18 so Rae would not have been able to vote in 2014 or 2016.
How Addison Rae went from living in a trailer to earning MILLIONS as a TikTok star: Inside very modest beginnings of Kourtney Kardashian's 20-year-old pal who now boasts lucrative brand deals, a Netflix movie role - and even a debut spread in Vogue
TikTok star Addison Rae could well serve as the poster child for 'overnight success,' having shot to global fame — at least among her fellow Gen Zers — in a matter of months after securing her status as one of the video app's most popular users.
Less than two years after uploading her first post on the platform, the 20-year-old has gone from an unknown Louisiana teen to burgeoning social media star to celebrity 'It Girl,' complete with A-list pals like Kourtney Kardashian, lucrative brand deals, a Netflix movie role, and a spread in the latest issue of Vogue, cementing her status as a true Hollywood star.
As quickly as her star as risen, so have her earnings, with Addison — whose full name is Addison Rae Easterling — being named as TikTok highest-paid star, pulling in an estimated $5 million in earnings in just one year.
But long before she made it big on social media, moved her family out to live the high life in LA, and started palling around with the likes of the Kardashian family, Addison was an aspiring dancer whose family struggled to make ends meet and even had to live in a one-room camper that was loaned to them.
Superstar: Addison Rae Easterling, 20, has more than 80 million TikTok followers, a debut single, and an upcoming movie, among other lucrative projects in the works
Support system: The influencer is close with her parents, Sheri Nicole Easterling and Monty Lopez, and her younger brothers, Enzo and Lucas
Mentor: Addison has developed a close friendship with Kourtney Kardashian, who has taken her under her wing
Hitting the big time: The former college student landed her first spread in Vogue this month, which sees her modeling high-fashion designs while opening up about her new-found fame
Addison was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, to parents Sheri Nicole Easterling and Monty Lopez on October 6, 2000.
She opened up about the ups and downs of her childhood last summer on the first episode of her Spotify podcast, Mama Knows Best, which she co-hosts with her mom.
Sheri Nicole had just turned 21 and was dating her now husband Monty when they welcomed Addison, their first of three children. They married in 2003 but divorced about a year later, making Sheri Nicole a single mom.
Addison said she didn't spend much time with her dad between the ages of three and six, though Sheri Nicole noted she would see him every once in a while.
The influencer explained her parents had an 'on-and-off' relationship throughout her childhood. Addison was six when her mother got pregnant with her brother, Enzo, after reuniting with Monty. This was also the age that she started dancing and traveling across the country for competitions.
A year after Enzo was born, the family was living in a camper with 'one main room and a bunkbed,' Addison recalled. She explained that the trailer business her father worked for allowed them to borrow an RV because they 'didn't have anywhere to live.'
Memories: Addison, who was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, has been candid about her humble beginnings and growing up with hardly any money
Hard times: Her parents divorced when she was three and had an 'on-and-off' relationship throughout her childhood
Separated: Sheri Nicole was a single mom when Addison was between the ages of three and six. The rising singer said she didn't see her dad a lot during this time
Tight quarters: Addison and her family shuffled between Louisiana and Texas, and at one point, they lived in a camper with 'one main room and a bunkbed'
'It was so hard to shower in an RV,' she recalled, noting: 'It was not an RV because RVs are super luxurious. This was like a camper.'
When she was in fifth grade, her family briefly moved to Texas, where they lived for two years. Sheri Nicole and Monty, who were still divorced, welcomed their youngest son, Lucas, during that time. (Both of Addison's brothers have taken their father's last name, Lopez, though she continues to use her mother's maiden name.)
After Monty got a job offer he couldn't refuse, the family returned to Louisiana — this time the northern part of the state — when Addison was about to start eighth grade.
The social media star said they moved into an apartment and had 'pool chairs' in their living room in place of furniture.
'It was a really hard time for me,' explained Addison, who was bullied throughout her childhood.
She recounted one instance in which the kids at her new school in Louisiana teased her for wearing a secondhand pair of Bearpaw boots instead of higher-priced Uggs.
Talented: Addison was six when she started dancing and traveling across the country for competitions
Tough time: Addison said she was bullied as a kid, recalling on instance when she was teased in middle school for having secondhand Bearpaw boots instead of higher-price Uggs
Happy times: Addison eventually made friends and became a member of her high school cheerleading team. Her parents remarried in 2017, two years before she graduated
Rejection: Addison skipped her senior prom to try out for the Louisiana State University dance team known as the Tiger Girls, but she ended up getting cut
'They literally bullied me, like, "You can't afford real Uggs, like that's embarrassing,' she said, recalling how she came home crying.
Even though the family couldn't afford it, her mom took her to the store that day and charged a $200 pair of Uggs with the hope that Addison would stop getting picked on.
Addison eventually made friends and became a member of her high school cheerleading team. Her parents got remarried in 2017, and she graduated two years later.
The teen, who had been dancing most of her life, had her sights set on joining the Louisiana State University dance team known as the Tiger Girls. She was so dedicated to her dream that she missed her senior prom to attend tryouts.
'It was kind of a priorities thing at that point,' she explained on an episode of her podcast last August. 'I obviously would love to have gone to prom and I just never did, but it was really important for me to make this tryout and try my best to hopefully become a Tiger Girl.'
While she made it past the first round, she was eventually cut, which broke her heart and made her briefly reconsider attending LSU. She ultimately decided to go to the school, and her family moved to Baton Rouge with her to save money on room and board — but she wasn't there for long.
TikTok sensation: Addison made the life-changing decision to join TikTok in July 2019, the summer before she entered her freshman year at LSU, recording videos from her bedroom
Low key: Like many other teenagers, Addison began filming herself in her home in Louisiana - but unlike others, her posts racked up millions of views
On the rise: The then-teenager's videos began getting serious traction on the app, and just a few days after joining TikTok, Addison already had 300,000 followers
Moving on: The TikTok star dropped out of college a few months into her freshman year and moved to Los Angeles with her family to pursue her career in entertainment
Addison made the life-changing decision to join TikTok in July 2019, the summer before she entered her freshman year at LSU, where she studied broadcast journalism.
She remembers the exact date she reached one million followers, telling Forbes it was October 27, 2019. By that point, people were starting to recognize her on campus thanks to her videos, which mostly showed her dancing and lip-syncing.
'My name would be called out when I was walking to class, which was pretty mind-blowing,' she recounted.
A month later, she dropped out of school. Around the same time, she shared her first sponsored content post for the online retailer Fashion Nova. By December 2019, she had moved to Los Angeles to turn her budding fame into a lucrative career.
She befriended other TikTokers and helped form Hype House, a content creator collective that calls an LA mansion of the same name home base.
As her star continued to rise, she scored branded merchandise and sponsored content deals. Forbes reported last year that she made an estimated $5 million from June 30, 2019, through June 30, 2020, with the two revenue streams counting for two-thirds of her estimated earnings.
Big deal: As her star continued to rise, she scored branded merchandise and sponsored content deals, including a partnership with American Eagle last year
The next Kylie? Addison, who has her own clean makeup brand, ITEM Beauty, made an estimated $5 million between June 30, 2019, through June 30, 2020
Close as can be: Addison's meteoric rise to fame led to her friendship with Kourtney, 42, whose son Mason was a fan of the TikToker's videos
Getting grilled: The two have gotten so close that Kourtney's sister Kim actually questioned in a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians if they were romantically involved
Mentor: Addison has credited Kourtney with helping her to navigate the pitfalls of fame, including dealing with trolls and criticism
Superstar: The TikTok star's friendship with Kourtney led to her modeling in a campaign for Kim Kardashian's brand Skims
In January 2020, Addison signed with the WME talent agency, which also represents her parents. That same year, she was named a global spokesperson for American Eagle and was featured in the brand's digital and print campaigns as well as TV spots.
She also launched her new clean makeup brand, ITEM Beauty, which is a joint venture with the startup Madeby.
Over the past year and a half, Addison has been spotted hanging out with her close friend and mentor Kourtney Kardashian, who knows a few things about being famous for being famous.
The two have gotten so close that Kourtney's sister Kim actually questioned in a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians if they were romantically involved, which Addison denied.
'I think they meant it lightheartedly!' she told Vogue of the awkward confrontation.
Addison, 42, described Kourtney as being 'motherly,' saying she introduced her to everything from her famous avocado smoothie to handling public scrutiny.
'She knows firsthand how to really handle all of this,' she said.
Moves: Addison recently performed TikTok dances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but she faced backlash after she failed to credit the black creators behind the routines
Goals: The aspiring singer dropped her debut single Obsessed in March. She is currently working on her first album
Ready for the big screen: Addison is set to star in He's All That, a Netflix remake of hit 90s flick She's All That. The movie will premiere on the streaming site in August
Strike a pose: Addison showed off her figure in a barely-there top at the MTV Movie & TV Awards red carpet on Sunday
Unforgettable: Addison and her He's All That co-star Tanner Buchanan sent sparks flying when they locked lips while presenting Best Kiss at the awards show
In the past few months alone, Addison has released her debut single Obsessed and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she taught the host viral TikTok dances.
However, the segment sparked backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation after she failed to credit the black creators behind the dances.
Addison addressed the issue in an interview with TMZ days after the segment, saying: 'I think they were all credited in the original YouTube posting, but it's kinda hard to credit during the show.
'But they all know that I love them so much and I mean, I support all of them so much. And hopefully one day we can all meet up and dance together. They deserve all the credit because they came up with these amazing trends.'
The entertainer is now working on her debut album and awaiting the release of her first film He's All That, a redo of the 1999 teen film She's All That starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook.
Most recently, she celebrated her first interview with Vogue, sharing images from the high-profile shoot on Instagram Monday.
'Pinch me!! This is so surreal,' she wrote. 'My first time being photographed for @voguemagazine Vogue!! In the June/July issue on stands soon. Thank you so much to everyone involved. I will never get over this feeling.'