Jeffree Star, the YouTube phenom and makeup mogul, has revealed in a top trending video (8 million views in less than 24 hours) that one of the warehouses housing his lucrative Jeffree Star Cosmetics line was burglarized.
In addition to the fact that roughly $2.5 million worth of makeup was stolen, Star says, the perpetrators — who are attempting to sell the products on a black market of sorts — also allegedly nipped a product that Star had yet to release, thus spoiling the reveal. As a result, Star — who counts 14 million subscribers — says he is accelerating the launch of his Magic Star concealers, which have been in the works for two years and mark his foray into the complexion category. Star has previously said that his cosmetics brand brings in upwards of $150 million annually.
In his latest video (below), Star suggests that the sophisticated six-man operation, which took place in mid-March, could’ve been an inside job spearheaded by one of his warehouse employees. TMZ reports that burglars cut a hole through the roof of the building (the heist was captured on security cameras), and they also jacked thousands of lip liners in addition to the concealers.
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Star has been working with the FBI and local law enforcement — as well as his own hired investigators — to crack the case, and apparently they have made some inroads. A “major player” who was found to be re-selling the product has been arrested, he says — though police are still working to “unravel all the evidence” given that the makeup black market “is so twisted and has several layers.”
The robbery arrives after the launch of Star’s biggest makeup launch to date, a $52 eyeshadow palette dubbed Blue Blood. The first product run sold out, and Star has said that he made an initial order of over 1 million units.
Star is currently in the midst of shooting a docuseries with fellow YouTube luminary Shane Dawson in which he is teaching Dawson how to become a beauty vlogger. The two also plan to launch their own product collaboration. It is unknown whether the theft will be featured on the forthcoming series.
