Doja Cat Draws Line with Fans After Uncomfortable Encounter: “Don’t Touch Me”

Image via Raph_PH / Flickr

Doja Cat is making headlines again, this time for setting a boundary that’s stirred both support and criticism online.

On Friday, the Paint the Town Red hitmaker took to X (formerly Twitter) to speak out about a recent interaction with a fan she felt was inappropriate. The now-deleted posts referenced a TikTok by user Pablo Tamayo, who approached the singer at an event, gifted her a shirt from his pride-themed collection, and initiated a hug, followed by what appeared to be playful physical gestures.

@thisisntpablo

Love you @Doja Cat 😭😭

“Bottom line is I’ll smile at you but it doesn’t mean I f--- w you and don’t touch me and man handle me when you don’t even f---in know me,” she wrote, before adding, “I honestly think I need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes… kissing me on my face like that is crazy.”

The original video shows Doja smiling and engaging with Tamayo, leading some online to question the tone of her response. She later replied to one critical comment sarcastically, saying, “LMAO wait ur right nvm thanks for educating me on how I feel.”

Doja also added that she threw away the shirt, calling it “musty.”

Tamayo, who identifies as gay and emphasized that he meant no harm, posted his own reaction video, saying the experience “hurts” and claiming it was Doja who initially complimented the shirt and engaged him in conversation. “I apologize if I did anything wrong at all,” he said. “But I’m a human being too.”

@thisisntpablo

:/

This isn’t the first time Doja has drawn a firm line with her fanbase. In 2023, she publicly rejected the “Kittenz” fandom name, told fans to “get a job,” and celebrated losing half a million Instagram followers, claiming it allowed her to “reconnect with the people who really matter.”

While the debate continues online, one thing is clear: Doja Cat remains unapologetically outspoken about her boundaries, both on and off stage.