Last week, the internet was caught in the crossfire between rappers Alabama Barker and Bhad Bhabie, whose stories, videos, and receipts revealed a complicated cheating scandal with undercurrents of music promotion, abuse, and cultural appropriation.
The exchanges culminated in a Dec. 18 TikTok by Barker, who broke down her role in the days-long saga between herself, Bhad Bhabie, and Bhad Bhabie's (now ex) boyfriend and father of her child, Le Vaughn.
@kyliejenner_fromtemu BHAD BABIE IS THAT GIRL ???????????? #fy #fyp #fypviralシ #viral #xbycza #bhadbhabie #alabama #alabamabarker ♬ Peggy - Ceechynaa
It began on Dec. 17, 2024, when 21-year-old rapper Bhad Bhabie—born Danielle Rigoli—shared a (now-deleted) Instagram story with her followers, saying, simply "@AlabamaBarker took my man," and tagging the 18-year-old daughter of Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler in the post.
In response, Barker posted a TikTok video with the caption "I'd never want a BUM." In the video, Barker is seen lip-synching the words, “You ain’t even bad, b*tch, and you think I’m beefing with you? Come on now with your raggedy ass.”
Barker’s response inspired Bhad Bhabie to share several more Instagram slides, seemingly communicating her relationship status. One slide said, “I told [Le Vaughn] next time I catch you. You gon b with them!” In another, she simply wrote, “Single,” leading fans believe she and Le Vaughn had ended their relationship.
In another slide, Bhad Bhabie targeted Barker. The slide explains, “I truly believe she only entertained him bc he’s my baby daddy. I’ve watched her talk to numerous men with girlfriends but never thought I would see the day she did it to me.”
@itstotallyteaa #tea #teapage #drama #bhadbhabie #bhad #bhadbhabieedit #alabama #alabamabarker #barker #dramatok #teatiktok #teatok #cheater #story #storytime ♬ Peggy - Ceechynaa
According to E! News, Barker then said in a now-deleted Instagram story, "LV deceived me, something I have evidence of, including messages claiming he wasn't actually LV, that he was single and that he didn't have an Instagram account. Before pointing fingers at me, I suggest looking at the source."
Bhad Bhabie immediately clapped back in two Instagram lives and a series of stories, saying "this is beyond embarrassing, this is beyond disturbing, especially with everything that I'm going through," referring to the birth of her daughter, Kali Rose, in March and her cancer diagnosis, which she shared with the public in early November.
The back-and-forth came to a head on Dec. 18, when Alabama Barker uploaded a video saying "this is the only video I'm going to be posting about the situation." In the since-deleted TikTok, Barker denied allegations by Bhad Bhabie, including that she copied Bhad Bhabie's music video and that she was trying to steal Bhabie's boyfriend, Le Vaughn.
Barker continued by highlighting that the fault was in Vaughn, who "harassed" and misled her, and even used fake numbers to contact her. "After I told him I no longer wanted communication with him, he continuously tried to talk to me and put me in a very uncomfortable position." She said. “Over time, LV initiated frequent communication, including calls and texts, but nothing substantial ever came from it."
She went on to say, "I'm not going to disregard my faults in this situation, there are definitely certain things I could've went about differently," sharing texts that show that she tried to reach out to Bhad Bhabie—who rose to fame after a 2016 Dr. Phil appearance—to make amends for her role in the controversy.
"I have apologized multiple times to Danielle, understanding that her partner misled me,” she asserted.
Shortly after Barker's TikTok, Le Vaughn—who has been accused of abuse by Bhad Babie—chimed in, claiming in a since-deleted Instagram story that Barker had “fabricated” the exchanges with her, per screenshots shared by The Shade Room. He also insinuated that Barker was incensed because her new song hadn't performed well, and she needed attention.
“I HAVE ALL THE MESSAGES AND VIDEOS TO BACK UP WHAT I'M SAYING. IF YOUR CLAIMS WERE GENUINE, WHY DID YOU KEEP REACHING OUT? WHY CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK AND I DON'T ANSWER? IT'S IT'S EVIDENT THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING TRUTHFUL, WHICH IS WHY YOU INITIALLY TOOK YOUR POST DOWN,” Le Vaughn wrote, ending the story by telling everyone to "go stream” Alabama’s new song, because “this what it’s about.”
This feud has ignited a huge public response, drawing attention to the rappers' use of black culture and aesthetics, with X users flagging both Bhad Bhabie (whose heritage is Italian-American and Jewish) but especially Alabama Barker (who is white), for cultural appropriation.
It's unclear where things stand now between Alabama Barker and Bhad Bhabie, but Bhad Babie recently revealed that she is no longer in a relationship with Lee Vaughn.
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