Jools Lebron Spills the Tea on a Beauty Brand That Used Her for Clout—But Didn’t Cut the Check
Jools Lebron, the Puerto Rican trans influencer behind 2024’s viral “demure” trend, is speaking out against a beauty brand she says took advantage of her success without paying her a dime.
On the first episode of her new podcast, Very Demure, Lebron revealed that she was never compensated for attending and promoting a foundation launch—despite being at the peak of her internet-breaking moment. And now, fans are demanding answers.
Jools Lebron Says She Was Invited—But Not Paid
According to Out Magazine, Lebron shared her experience with a beauty brand. Its founder was already under fire for not paying Black and brown creators. She didn’t initially plan to go public about it. However, the brand’s recent statement—inviting unpaid collaborators to reach out—triggered her to reflect on the treatment she received.
“At the height of the most viral sensation of TikTok in 2024, you got me to fly to New York for free, unpaid, to essentially promote your foundation?” Lebron said on her podcast.
While Lebron didn’t directly name the brand, her YouTube thumbnail featured a Patrick Ta Beauty foundation. And she appeared to mouth Patrick Ta’s name when discussing the incident.
She Thought It Was an Opportunity—Until She Realized Others Were Paid
Lebron explained that at the time, she was excited to collaborate with someone she admired. The brand’s founder—who she called “one of my idols”—had already made TikToks with other beauty influencers, and she assumed this was a collaborative content moment.
“Of course, I want to make some TikToks with you,” she recalled thinking. But later, she realized, “He was making TikToks with all the divas, but he was paying the other divas. I found out later.”
That realization changed everything.
Jools Lebron Isn’t the Only Creator Speaking Out
This isn’t the first time Patrick Ta Beauty has been under fire of not paying Black and brown influencers.
Back in December 2024, beauty influencer Avonna Sunshine went viral after calling out Patrick Ta for failing to compensate her. In a video that racked up over 11 million views, she slammed beauty brands that profit off of Black consumers while refusing to pay Black creators. She ended the video by snapping Patrick Ta blush palettes in half and throwing them in the trash.
Following the backlash, Patrick Ta issued an apology. But as of March 6, Lebron confirmed in the comments of her podcast video that she was never paid—neither at the time nor afterward.
The Creator Economy Is Huge—So Why Are WOC Still Underpaid?
Lebron’s story highlights an issue that content creators, especially women of color, have been fighting for years. In fact, Stanford University research in 2023 found that creators of color are less likely to receive monetary compensation and free or discounted products from brand deals. At the same time, the study says, they’re more likely to receive requests for free labor.
Jools Lebron speaking out isn’t just about one unpaid gig—it’s about demanding that brands stop exploiting creators, especially Black and brown influencers who help drive trends and sales.
As one TikTok commenter put it: “If you can cut a check for the ‘other divas,’ you can cut a check for Jools.” And now, the internet is watching to see if Patrick Ta—or any beauty brand guilty of the same—will finally start paying up.
