“Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago pose.” These were the words uttered by musician Lana Del Rey as she shared a snippet from her upcoming album with the caption “Track 13. @jackantonoff.” These few simple words were enough to set the internet ablaze with rumors of a feud between the two, leading most members of their overlapping fandoms to take a side and criticize the other. Fans of Del Rey were quick to unleash their fury towards Cain in her Instagram comments, proclaiming their undying love for their favorite singer. What is most concerning about this event is how quickly these fans jumped at the opportunity to attack women that they do not even know, signifying that we as a society should be more concerned about the repercussions of toxic fandom culture.
It was previously revealed that Cain developed a relationship with Del Rey’s former boyfriend, singer Jack Donoghue. Del Rey claimed that Cain would use overweight cartoons for a side-by-side comparison to her. Notably, Del Rey made headlines regarding her weight in recent years that her fans have vehemently defended her from. Once this accusation against Cain came to light, it provided ample enough evidence for Lana’s fanbase to attack her. However, it must be acknowledged that these are simply just claims and have not been further elaborated upon by either party.
This raises a question about whether or not artists are fully aware of how many of their fans will take time out of their day to defend them and attack whoever they perceive to be the aggressor. This level of hostility within fandom culture has only grown deeper and darker with the advent of social media, and it’s terrifying to see how it has developed over time, with some fans working together to create systemic takedowns of individuals who speak out against specific artists or famous individuals. These parasocial relationships between fan and celebrity create ugly and mean exchanges that can potentially deteriorate the mental health and well-being of whoever is on the receiving end.
Although Cain has, in the past, sung the praises of the “Summertime Sadness” singer, there is radio silence on her end regarding the entire controversy, and it seems as though it will remain that way for the time being. With her new project, “Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You,” Cain will be busy promoting the album on the “Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour” this fall. Del Rey also has an album coming out soon. According to her interview with W Magazine, the album is called “Stove” and will be released in January 2026. It is unknown if either party will comment again on the matter, but it seems as though the tide has subsided for now as the aforementioned women focus on their work. Now we shall wait to see what controversy the internet will focus on next.
