Victoria Justice revealed she received death threats after a viral meme with Ariana Grande.
The Victorious alum recalled the fallout from the viral video, which she said was misinterpreted, during a recent appearance on Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals. The video also featured her former co-stars Grande, Elizabeth Gillies and Daniella Monet.
“It was definitely a thing where it was like, ‘The internet hates Victoria Justice right now,’” the actress said. “There was a time for so long on the internet where I feel like people hated me. It was a thing. It can really be a ruthless place … Mob mentality is such a real thing.”
In the 2010 Popstar video interview, which resurfaced in 2017 and went viral, the Victorious stars are discussing their personalities. “One thing you don’t know about Ariana Grande is that she literally sings everything,” Gillies said at the time. “Like, she started to forget how to talk in her own voice because she sings everything. And it’s a good thing because she has a beautiful voice.”
After Monet noted that Gillies also frequently sings, Justice chimed in, “I think we all sing,” leading some people online to accuse Justice of being passive-aggressive towards Grande. However, the A Perfect Pairing actress clarified that she was just stating a fact about the group’s dynamic.
“First of all, it’s factual. We did all sing, OK?” Justice explained. “I think the media outlet that put it out put this whole spin on it. Man, I dunno, it must have been a really slow news day for them, because I swear to God, I think when they published that, I don’t even know how many years later it was. I was like way into my 20s, from an interview I did when I was like 16.”
As a result, she said, “I got all this hate. So much hate! I’m like, ‘What did I do? What did I do? I’m sitting here living my life just trying to work, live, I dunno.’ It was wild.”
“I got so much hate, dude. I got, like, death threats,” the Zoey 101 alum continued. “I felt bad for my mom ’cause she was looking at all this stuff online, and she was like, she was freaking out. And I’m always kinda like, ‘Oh, whatever. People are gonna say what they’re gonna say.’ But yeah, it really took on a life of its own and became a thing.”
Now, Justice said she thinks the clip is “funny,” adding, “I don’t care. I’m in on the joke. I even say it myself all the time. You know, whatever. I don’t care.”
Victorious, which ran from 2010-13 on Nickelodeon, followed aspiring singer Tori Vega (Justice) as she navigates life while attending a performing arts high school called Hollywood Arts.
