Elf Brand Faces Backlash Over Matt Rife’s Involvement in Ad

The cosmetic brand Elf issued an apology on Wednesday after social media users criticized its decision to feature stand-up comic Matt Rife in a recent advertisement.

Following the ad’s release on various platforms earlier this week, many online users, including prominent makeup influencers, expressed their discontent. They were particularly upset due to Rife’s past joke about domestic violence, which had garnered backlash in 2023. In response to the uproar, Elf issued a statement of regret.

In a post on their official Instagram page, the brand stated, “You know us; we’ve always been listening. This campaign aimed to humorously address the injustices found in beauty standards.”

While the ad featured comedic skits with spoof lawyers, it also drew a significant amount of negative attention. Some users took to Instagram to voice their opinions, with one asking, “Did you have a budget for comedians who weren’t joking about abuse?”

Nikkiettoyal, a prominent cosmetics influencer with nearly 9 million followers on TikTok, remarked, “aaaaaanandddd you lost me… Is Matt Rife in every ad?”

Meanwhile, TikTok user Maddie Lucy Dunn recalled the controversial joke from Rife’s Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” where he made a remark about a female server who had visible injuries, suggesting humorously that if she could cook, she wouldn’t have those problems. This joke had previously sparked outrage online.

Rife faced criticism previously, and instead of directly addressing the anger, he provided a link in response to his comedy that led to a website selling helmets for special needs—something many found to be in poor taste.

The timing of this controversy coincided with another incident involving actress Sidney Sweeney, who faced backlash for an American Eagle ad that some perceived as promoting problematic messages about beauty standards and whiteness. Unlike Elf, which apologized for involving Rife, American Eagle did not issue a statement regarding Sweeney’s ad, although it has since been removed from their social media accounts.

Elf and Rife have not yet responded to media inquiries regarding the situation.