Doja Cat and fan Pablo Tamayo have officially buried the hatchet, reuniting at the Outside Lands Festival nearly two months after their first encounter turned awkward. Their reconciliation came after a viral incident where Doja publicly called out Tamayo for crossing personal boundaries.
From Awkward Encounter to VIP Invite
In a series of TikTok videos shared by Tamayo, he revealed that Doja personally invited him to her headlining set at Outside Lands — complete with VIP access. His clips documented his trip to San Francisco, his arrival at the festival, and the moment a member of Doja’s team escorted him to the stage mid-performance so the two could share a lighthearted moment in front of the crowd.
“Doja Cat invited me to @Outside Lands to squash the beef,” Tamayo captioned one of the videos.
Backstage Laughter and Light-Hearted Questions
In another clip, the pair were seen laughing together backstage. Tamayo jokingly asked, “How do I smell?” to which Doja replied, “You smell amazing.” He then apologized for not knowing her real name, Amala Dlamini, during their first meeting. Doja quickly reassured him, saying, “That’s fine. And you did not need to know.”
The Viral First Meeting
Their first encounter in June was far less friendly. In a viral clip, Tamayo hugged Doja, kissed her on the cheek, and handed her the shirt off his back — all while admitting he didn’t know her real name. While she appeared cordial in the moment, Doja later addressed the incident on X in since-deleted posts, saying:
“I’ll smile at you but it doesn’t mean I f–k w you. Don’t touch me and manhandle me when you don’t even f–kin know me… and he didn’t even know my f–kin name to be touching me and kissing on my face like that is crazy.”
She even added in another deleted post:
“I threw that musty a– shirt away btw.”
Clearing the Air — Mostly
During their backstage reunion, Tamayo asked if she had actually thrown his shirt away. With a wide-eyed look, Doja responded, “I don’t know…” before playfully walking away. Tamayo captioned the clip, “Guys don’t worry, we’re friends again @Doja Cat.”
Moving Forward With New Music and New Energy
With the past behind her, Doja is now gearing up to release her upcoming album Vie. While no release date has been announced, she has confirmed the project is complete and will feature a “pop-driven” sound — a shift from her 2023 album Scarlet.
Shortly after Tamayo’s videos went live, Doja shared a simple message on X that seems to sum up her new outlook:
“It feels good to be kind. It hurts to not.”
