Jools Lebron, the influencer behind one of 2024’s most viral trends, is speaking out about an experience she claims where she wasn’t compensated for her work with a beauty brand.
In the debut episode of her new podcast Very Demure, Lebron, a transgender influencer who popularized the “demure” trend on TikTok, revealed that a well-known beauty brand took advantage of her. The “demure” trend, which emphasizes a “mindful” and “cutesy” approach to life, became so popular that it led to the word being named Dictionary.com‘s Word of the Year for 2024.
Lebron, who gained widespread recognition for her TikToks demonstrating demure behavior in everyday scenarios, such as applying for a job or boarding an airplane, says her viral success enabled her to afford gender-affirming surgery and help a friend with housing. However, she now claims that some companies, including the beauty brand in question, expected her to work for free.
Lebron shared her story of working with the brand and its founder, who had recently faced criticism for allegedly not paying Black and brown creators. The influencer said she was flown to New York for a foundation event without compensation, despite being at the height of her TikTok fame. “At the height of the most viral sensation of TikTok of 2024, you got me to fly to New York, for free, unpaid, to essentially promote your foundation?” Lebron said during the podcast.
While she was initially excited to work with the brand and its founder—whom she considered an idol—Lebron later realized she was not paid, unlike other influencers who were compensated for similar promotions. She explained, “Of course I want to make some TikToks with you… he was making TikToks with all the divas. Because he was paying the other divas, I found out later.”
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Lebron said she didn’t plan to speak out about the experience but felt compelled to after the brand posted a video asking creators who felt they had been underpaid to reach out. This prompted Lebron to reflect on her own treatment. She also mentioned a comment from one of her fans, who tagged the creator in a post celebrating her success, claiming the creator gave her her first brand deal. According to Lebron, that claim wasn’t true, and she questioned the creator’s response: “You love helping the divas, and you didn’t cut me a check?”
While Lebron didn’t explicitly name the beauty brand or its founder, fans have speculated that she may be referring to beauty mogul Patrick Ta, as some commenters have begun tagging him and his brand in relation to the story. However, this remains purely speculative at this point.
The episode has sparked a conversation about compensation for influencers and creators of color, particularly within the beauty industry. Lebron’s experience highlights the growing scrutiny of how brands and creators work with underrepresented talent, especially when it comes to fair payment for their contributions.
As of now, the story is still developing, and it remains unclear whether the beauty brand or its founder will address the claims. For now, Lebron continues to use her platform to shed light on issues of fairness and equity in the influencer industry.
