Don’t Let This Flop is released Wednesdays on all audio streaming platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher and more.
Addison Rae is having a rough summer.
In early July, the lives of the TikTok star, actress, and singer’s family were shaken up when allegations surfaced that her father, Monty Lopez, had apparently been unfaithful to Rae’s mother, Sheri Nicole Easterling. Influencer Renee Ash, 25, accused 46-year-old Lopez of “misleading” her into believing that Lopez’s marriage to Easterling was over, and having a five-month affair. Ash took to Page Six to tell her side of the story.
“He introduced me to his mom, his youngest brother and I thought we had something real. He told me a story of his marriage that convinced me that they were apart and in the process of getting a divorce,” Ash told Page Six. Lopez and Easterling were still together at the time of their alleged affair.
Easterling responded on her Instagram, though Lopez and Rae have not said anything publicly about Ash’s allegations. “Personal matters being brought public are always challenging and overwhelming for anyone involved,” Easterling wrote. “I will be okay. My biggest concern is — and always will be — my children and their fragile hearts and minds. I will always do my best to try to protect them.”
In the ensuing weeks, Lopez appeared to become estranged from his wife and successful daughter. Both Rae and Easterling unfollowed Lopez, with Easterling changing her social-media bios to “single mom.” Rumors began spreading about Lopez’s alleged extramarital affairs back in June. Internet personality Tana Mongeau, who is otherwise unrelated to the family, ended up making it a personal mission to ruin Lopez’s life. She posted DMs and stories from young women who also claimed to have been hit on by Lopez. Mongeau also accused Lopez of using his daughter’s celebrity clout to become a party fixture in the Los Angeles social scene. In the midst of another feud (more on that in a second), Lopez slut-shamed Mongeau in the TikTok comments.
Of course, given that their teenage daughter’s incredible internet celebrity, it makes sense that Lopez and Easterling had their own followings on-line. As their family seemed to fall apart, the parents used TikTok in totally different ways: Easterling found her footing as a single woman while Lopez feuded with someone who is 22 years his junior.
Enter Yung Gravy, the new white rapper taking over everyone’s social feeds. He’s blown up significantly in the last year, thanks to his TikTok prowess and Rick Astley-sampling “Betty (Get Money).” But the biggest part of Gravy’s schtick is his love for MILFs. His fans love that he loves MILFs so much that they even post videos of their moms being hot and begging Gravy to date them. It’s a true Freudian nightmare.
So when Easterling, a newly single MILF, began having more fun on TikTok, it didn’t seem abnormal that she and Gravy would cross paths at some point. She duetted a TikTok of him saying he was ready to “butter the biscuits” by making a humorous video of herself running to the store then baking a comically large tray full of a biscuits. Two days later, she kept the joke running when Gravy and Mongeau, who are neighbors, posted a video with each other. Easterling’s new duet was her solemnly dumping all the biscuits in the trash in a faux jealous rage.
Things got heated however after Gravy went on a podcast and said he was actively pursuing a romance with Easterling. This is when Monty got involved. He started a one-sided beef with Gravy, repeatedly challenging him to a boxing match and tagging the rapper in videos. He posted a video of himself flexing his muscles angrily — what has been deemed one of the most cringe TikToks of all time, a true feat in cringiness.
Gravy responded much more maturely than Lopez, reminding him and the Internet that he should appreciate his daughter’s success instead of embarrassing her. Lopez retaliated, alleging that he and Easterling’s young sons will be bullied because Gravy wants to date their mom.
At some point in the middle of this, Rae also unfollowed her mom; Easterling subsequently added “not your doormat” to her bio. It’s probably unbearably annoying to watch your parents act younger than you online. Luckily, she’s been having a bit of renaissance lately, with her leaked music gaining traction on TikTok and turning her into the gay icon she was always destined to be. It would be great timing for her to relaunch her music career and have a Paris Hilton-esque brief impact on pop music before going off to make more lip glosses or Netflix movies. She could probably use the distraction.
This week on Rolling Stone‘s Don’t Let This Flop, a weekly podcast about internet news and culture, cohosts Ej Dickson and Brittany Spanos discuss Addison Rae’s family drama, Andrew Tate, an urban legend about meth in dog poop, and Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died.
Don’t Let This Flop is released Wednesdays on all audio streaming platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher and more.