Recently, E.l.f. Cosmetics is facing criticism following the release of its Aug. 11 ad campaign featuring comedian Matt Rife and drag performer Heidi N Closet. The lighthearted commercial, parodying old lawyer ads, positioned the duo as “affordable beauty attorneys” fighting against the “injustice” of overpriced makeup. However, Rife’s involvement quickly drew backlash from critics citing his past controversial jokes about domestic violence, particularly from his 2023 Netflix special Natural Selection.
In that special, Rife opened with a joke about a restaurant hostess with a black eye—remarks that many deemed offensive and insensitive. The joke went viral on TikTok, prompting widespread condemnation and further scrutiny of the comedian’s work.
The decision to cast Rife prompted social media users to question e.l.f.’s judgment, with some vowing to boycott the brand. On Aug. 13, e.l.f. issued a statement on Instagram: “You know us, we’re always listening and we’ve heard you… We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. community.” Critics, however, labeled the message a “non-apology” and urged the company to take concrete action, such as supporting domestic violence survivor organizations.
In an Aug. 14 interview with media, e.l.f. Beauty’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Kory Marchisotto said the brand chose Rife because his largely female, under-34 TikTok audience aligns with e.l.f.’s target demographic. She acknowledged the negative response, adding, “There is a big gap between our intention and how this missed the mark for some people… We always aim to deliver positivity, and this one didn’t.”
