“I’m not waiting until she’s 18, I’ll go now. I’m 23, dog, I’m not like a creepy age … I’m 23, she’s 17, and she’s a celebrity. There’s no limits right there.”
A resurfaced interview with Machine Gun Kelly has sparked huge backlash after he said that he wouldn’t wait for Kendall Jenner to turn 18 as he discussed his crush on her.
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The interview was with Fuse in 2013, when Machine Gun Kelly was 23 years old and Kendall was just 17.
The musician went on to say that there are “no limits” when people are famous as he listed off artists who had public relationships with underage girls.
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Asked by the host who his first celebrity crush was, Machine Gun Kelly replied: “I don’t care who my first celebrity crush was because right now it’s Kendall Jenner.”
“God damn I’ve said that so many motherfucking times, I hope that I’m snagging that,” he went on. “Don’t let me move to LA. Oof, I’m finding her.”
The host then asked if he was “counting down the days” until Kendall was 18, which is the legal age of sexual consent in Los Angeles.
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Machine Gun Kelly said: “I’m not waiting until she’s 18, I’ll go now. I’m 23, dog, I’m not like a creepy age, y’know what I’m saying?”
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“I’m 23, she’s 17, and she’s a celebrity. There’s no limits right there,” he added.
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“Robert Plant, who is one of the greatest lead singers ever, dated a girl who was 14,” Machine Gun Kelly continued. “Axl Rose [pictured below] was one of the biggest badasses ever, dated a girl who was 16 and wrote a song on his first album about the girl that was 16.”
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He concluded: “I don’t care, say what you want, man, if Kendall Jenner is in your bedroom naked and you’re 50, you’re going.”
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The controversial interview has been circulating on social media in recent days, with viewers quick to voice their discomfort at Machine Gun Kelly’s comments.
Responding to the clip on TikTok, one person wrote: “Repulsive — he thinks because he is famous he can mess with kids.”
Another commented: “Not him pulling up his grooming idols 😭✋🏽,” while a third echoed: “The way he had those examples ready to GOOOO.”
One more wrote: “I didn’t think it could get worse but then he j kept going😭😭😭”
The interview was filmed a year after Machine Gun Kelly called Eminem’s then-16-year-old daughter Hailie Jade “hot” in a now-deleted tweet, which read: “I have to say, she is hot as fuck, in the most respectful way possible cuz Em is king.”
Eminem did not publicly respond at the time, but in 2015 it was revealed that he had banned Machine Gun Kelly from going on his Shade 45 radio station.
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Three years later, Eminem made his feelings clear with the single “Not Alike,” where he rapped: “If you wanna come at me with a sub, Machine Gun / And I’m talkin’ to you but you already know who the fuck you are, Kelly / I don’t use sublims and sure as fuck don’t sneak-diss / But keep commentin’ on my daughter Hailie.”
However, the rap icon later denied that the feud was a response to Machine Gun Kelly’s comments about his daughter.
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“The reason I dissed him is actually a lot more petty than that,” he said in an interview with Sway. “The reason that I dissed him is because he got on first he said, ‘I’m the greatest rapper alive since my favorite rapper banned me from Shade 45,’ or whatever he said, right? Like I’m trying to hinder his career. I don’t give a fuck about your career. You think I actually fucking think about you?”
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“You know how many fucking rappers that are better than you? You’re not even in the fucking conversation,” Eminem added at the time.
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Meanwhile, Machine Gun Kelly’s comments about Kendall mark the second time that he has been at the center of backlash in recent weeks, with the star’s Jan. 11 engagement to actor Megan Fox also sparking concern from fans.
The ring consists of two jewels that correspond with the couple’s respective birthstones and connect with magnets. Machine Gun Kelly explained: “The bands are actually thorns. So if she tries to take it off, it hurts.”
He then added “love is pain,” prompting debate from fans who suggested that the ring is “possessive and controlling” as well as impractical for day-to-day life.
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Writer and producer Kim Caramele was among those to speak out against Machine Gun Kelly’s decision, tweeting at the time: “Just a friendly reminder that love is NOT pain. That’s a damaging message that allows abuse & toxicity to be misinterpreted for love. Love is wanting each other to be happy & to feel good … Pain is never the barometer. I promise.”
Hey gang! Just a friendly reminder that love is NOT pain. That’s a damaging message that allows abuse & toxicity to be misinterpreted for love. Love is wanting each other to be happy & to feel good. Romantic. Platonic. Self. Love for a pet. Pain is never the barometer. I promise. https://t.co/5EYqTv4fHz
Twitter: @kimcaramele
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan started dating in May 2020 after they met on the movie set of thriller Midnight In The Switchgrass.
Ever since, they have been open about their devotion to one another and regularly share intimate details about their relationship, including their first kiss.
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“She wouldn’t kiss me,” Machine Gun Kelly told British GQ. “We just put our lips right in front of each other and breathed each other’s breath and then she just left.”
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He also revealed that Megan gave him her blood to wear in a necklace while she was away for work, and Megan claimed that they “drank each other’s blood” after she accepted his proposal last month.
Interestingly, the couple are good friends with Travis Barker and his fiancé Kourtney Kardashian, who is Kendall’s sister, with Machine Gun Kelly and Travis collaborating over the years.
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None of the stars have acknowledged Machine Gun Kelly’s fresh backlash, and Buzzfeed News has reached out to his representatives for comment.
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