On Nouvelle Star, the French version of American Idol, a rapper named JoeyStarr slapped reporter and TV personality Gilles Verdez. The slap reverberated around French social media as outraged fans began to harass... an American comedian?
https://twitter.com/benjaminrabier/status/722500580569182208
Joe Starr is not JoeyStarr, but that fact has eluded many French Nouvelle Star viewers, who are incensed at the comedian for an assault he had nothing to do with. Starr's Twitter and Facebook accounts are blowing up, and there's not a whole lot he can do to stop it.
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722809040154206208
But, like a true comedian, Starr is going with the flow. He's begun responding to the haters in broken French, and pretending il est le vrai JoeyStarr.
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722845008919834625
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722854241216307200
So far, he's expressed his love for berets, slapping female journalists, and the film The Brotherhood of the Wolf. He's also said that the haters are "jealous of his rap money" and promised to move to Quebec to be with "the real French."
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722812022966976513
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722812423128780801
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722819584491802625
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722809417125597184
@joestarr187 I taught you were a fake account of the French rapper XD my bad, sorry
— Mel ✨ (@Melacroche) April 20, 2016
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722822955063857153
And, on Wednesday afternoon, things began to escalate:
https://twitter.com/joestarr187/status/722846319522353152
The people of France demand that Starr (who is not JoeyStarr) apologize or suffer a heinous curse. Will he atone for his actions, or continue to clown on the "stupid French peasants?" Stay tuned.
