Joe Budden Can't Help But Insult Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion has long occupied a complicated space in the culture. She’s adored by fans, lauded by brands, and yet routinely questioned in the court of public opinion. That tension came to a head recently, when during testimony in her lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz, a personal anecdote about a major video game deal with Call of Duty revealed the emotional toll of public life.

Understandably, the thought of players targeting her digital likeness with gun violence was too upseting, given that she was shot in 2020. Yet, that revelation didn’t spark widespread empathy. It’s the kind of disclosure that should have opened space for reflection. Instead, it triggered another round of speculation. Once again, Joe Budden was quick to weigh in.

Budden’s commentary on Megan has never been neutral. During her high-profile shooting trial against Tory Lanez, he repeatedly used his platform to cast doubt on her credibility. He, his cohosts, and his guests questioned her mental health and dismissed her emotional testimony. He pushed misinformation and speculative theories to an audience of millions. Eventually, even he had to walk some of it back, issuing an apology for joking about her trauma. By then, the damage was done. Budden’s critiques had already helped shape the chaotic online discourse, influencing how some listeners viewed Megan’s pain.

That pattern of minimizing has followed Megan from courtroom to career. Budden, as one of the leading podcasters in Hip Hop and beyond, has often led the charge with his. So much so, that actress Vivica A. Fox rebuked his commentary, urging respect for Megan in the face of relentless scrutiny. Some may argue that Budden comments on everyone and doesn’t have biases when it comes to harsh takes. We’ve seen from his episodes that anyone can “get it.” Still, the particular disdain that podcasters, and the public, have had for Megan through harrowing times should be a study.

During testimony in her defamation lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz, Megan Thee Stallion revealed she turned down a collaboration with Call of Duty. The reason? Her likeness would be used as a playable character that could be shot. After surviving a real-life shooting in 2020, the idea felt viscerally wrong. Her decision was personal, grounded in safety and self-preservation. However, when that testimony reached the public, the empathy it should have evoked was quickly drowned out.

Joe Budden, reacting to the revelation on his podcast, said that even though he doesn’t play the game, “I’d buy it off the strength alone.” The line landed poorly. To many, it sounded like Budden was saying he’d buy the game just to shoot Megan. The implication struck a nerve, especially coming from someone who had publicly cast doubt on her account of being shot—and someone who has faced public allegations of domestic violence.

In response, Budden clarified that he meant he would purchase the game simply because of Megan’s involvement, not to mock her trauma. “If one of the number one games is trying to put you in as a shootable character, then that must have had data that says that will get a causal fan to the store, just for that reason,” he attempted to explain. “So, I said as someone who doesn’t play the game, I would go get the game. Again, maybe ill-timed, but it wasn’t so jokey jokey.”

He Says She’s Been Terrible Behind the Scenes

In the thick of the public fallout over the Tory Lanez trial, Budden made a pointed declaration on his podcast. “I stand in my dislike for the girl,” he said about Megan Thee Stallion. “This has nothing to do with the case or Tory Lanez. Personally, I’ve seen this woman do horrible things to some really great people that I have longstanding relationships with in this industry, so I’m biased. You can’t just treat my friends and people I f*ck with and people I’ve seen in this game for 15 years a certain way.”

The statement was a line in the sand. Without naming names or offering specifics, Budden cast Megan as professionally harmful and someone who had mistreated respected figures in the business. He added, “I’m talking about her and what she’s chosen to do professionally. I wanna be clear, I don’t know her as a person. She could be amazing. But there’s a lot to deal with when you sign, and a lot happens fast.”

The implication was that Megan, in her rise to fame, had burned bridges or acted out of step with industry etiquette. Yet, without details, names, context, or a timeline, Budden came through with a sweeping claim. Male-dominated industries often paint powerful, successful women as difficult or having bad attitudes. It places Megan’s professional decisions under a moral lens, not an artistic one.By leaning on insider allegiance, Budden positioned himself as a gatekeeper, not just a critic.

Not A Superstar

On his podcast in February 2022, Budden and his crew weighed in on what qualifies an artist to be considered a superstar. His metric mirrored that of others when he plainly mentioned sales. “You’re not a superstar if you can’t sell an album,” he said, before turning his attention directly to Megan Thee Stallion. “What stops her from being a superstar if we’re taking out sales? She ain’t sold sh*t.”

At a time when Megan was headlining festivals, partnering with brands, and gracing the covers of major magazines, Budden dismissed it all. None of that mattered to him if album numbers didn’t match. To be fair, that’s not a unique hot take. Visibility without heavy first-week units disqualified her from superstardom.

Megan’s career has never relied solely on traditional metrics. She built her base through viral moments, connecting with fans, and hit songs. She has won three Grammys, debuted at No. 1, and made history as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” issue. To say she hasn’t “sold sh*t” flattens all of that. And coming from Budden, who has long made it clear he doesn’t rate her highly, it wasn’t just about sales. It was about control. Who gets to be seen as legitimate. Who gets to be labeled a superstar. And who, despite all evidence to the contrary, still gets told they’re not enough.

Megan’s 2025 Met Gala Look

This year’s Met Gala theme, “Tailored for You,” was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit. It was a tribute to Black dandyism and an invitation to explore legacy through fashion. Megan Thee Stallion arrived in a shimmering silver Michael Kors gown with a white fur coat and a sculptural updo, posting photos on Instagram and even bending the no-phone rule with Doechii and Angel Reese to review the dinner menu.

Joe Budden wasn’t impressed. On his podcast, he said, “It had absolutely nothing to do with the theme. It was a beautiful chrome-silver dress look. She looked beautiful, I’m not saying she didn’t. … This has nothing to do with anything I’ve said about her in the past. I just don’t think it went with the theme, that’s all.” The comment, framed as fashion critique, landed as something else. That line of “this has nothing to do with anything I’ve said about her in the past” seemed to acknowledge the pattern, and he knew how it would read.

Budden’s Podcast Calls Tory Lanez Restraining Order an “Overkill”

When Tory Lanez was sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, the court issued a five-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting her until 2030. The order followed Megan’s testimony that Lanez had not only harmed her physically but harassed her through alleged backdoor tactics. She accused him of paying bloggers to spread misinformation and weaponizing media attention against her. The restraining order was a legal recognition of that emotional and reputational harm. Yet, on The Joe Budden Podcast, the tone was markedly different.

Co-host Queenzflip dismissed the order as “overkill,” suggesting that it distorted the reality of the case and reinforced what he called a faulty narrative around Megan’s truthfulness. Another co-host, Ice, offered a more balanced view, affirming that Megan was well within her rights to request protection. Still, the overall discussion leaned skeptical. Even as they debated the ethics of both parties’ public behavior, the hosts circled a shared sentiment that Megan should stop pursuing legal actions if Lanez was already in jail.

This reflects a pattern of urging Megan to move on, not for her own peace, but for public comfort. The notion that a restraining order is excessive, even after a conviction, reinforces the idea that Megan’s protection is negotiable.

Megan: Act II Criticism

In the wake of Megan Thee Stallion’s Megan: Act II release, Joe Budden took to his podcast to question what the numbers really meant. He wasn’t outright dismissing her artistry. He clarified that “numbers are not a reflection of artistry and quality of music,” but the skepticism was palpable. “The numbers to me act as the stock report. I big up Tyler [the Creator] because it’s not an artist thing. When we start talking numbers, we’re not talking artistry anymore.”

He then pivoted to Megan directly. “For me, I see the play on the blackboard,” he continued. “But the numbers is gonna tell what is and what’s not, or why aren’t they being manipulated. If we putting you on everything spoken. If we tapping you to host the awards, we giving you the commercials, we putting you everywhere feasible, somebody that spent something to do with this is gonna want to see a number come back. It tells a story.” The story, in his view, was one of imbalance. “Whoever is on your team is not looking for their payday from the music aspect of what’s going on.”

Budden may claim he’s just calling it how he sees it, but the consistency of his call outs tells another story. He isn’t the only voice doing it, but his platform makes the pattern harder to ignore. When a woman like Megan shows up confident and still standing, some people can’t help but believe the need to humble powerful women in male-dominated spaces.

Joe Budden Can’t Help But Insult Megan Thee Stallion

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