Victoria Justice says she actually got death threats because of the “I think we all sing” meme. Yup, that meme. If you’ve spent any time online in the past few years, you’ve probably seen it pop up at least once.
However, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, let’s rewind for a sec. Back when Nickelodeon‘s Victorious was still a thing, Victoria and her co-stars (including Ariana Grande, Liz Gillies, and Daniella Monet) were doing an interview.
Liz said, “One thing you don’t know about Ariana Grande is that she sings everything.”
Daniella pointed out that Liz sings a lot too, and then Victoria jumped in with: “I think we all sing.” It was honestly just a passing comment, but the internet decided it was shady, especially towards Ariana.
Fast forward to 2017, and the clip went viral all over again. People found it hilarious, but others started accusing Victoria of being jealous or throwing shade. It spiralled from there, and Victoria says it got really ugly behind the scenes.
This week, on an episode of Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals, Victoria talked about how tough it was to deal with all the hate. “There was a time for so long on the internet where I felt like people hated me,” she said.
“I got so much hate. I got death threats. It really took on a life of its own and became a thing.”
She explained that she never meant anything by her comment. “First of all, it’s factual. We did all sing. What do you want from me?”
She said she was just a teenager at the time — about 16 or 17 — and didn’t get why people were so upset.
“I’m like, ‘What did I do? What did I do?’ I’m sitting here living my life, just trying to work, live.”
Victoria said the whole thing was especially hard on her mum, who saw the online reaction and was “freaking out”.
But these days, Victoria’s got a much better outlook. She says she actually finds the meme funny now. “I’m in on the joke. I say it to myself all the time,” she admitted.
“It was definitely a thing where it was like, ‘the Internet hates Victoria Justice right now’.”
She also responded to a recent TikTok that suggested she never got to be the pop star she wanted to be. Victoria set the record straight: “I love my life. I really am living the life of my dreams. Not everyone can say that.”
She added that it’s “very nice” to see people being kind to her online these days.
Victoria told E! Rundown in a 2023 interview that her and Ariana have discussed the meme and agree that it was “stupid”.
“Ariana texted me and we both were like, ‘This is so stupid’,” she revealed.
At the end of the day, Victoria’s just glad to be past all the drama. She hopes people remember that memes might be funny, but they can have a real impact on the people involved. For now, she’s happy, working, and, yep, still singing.
Lead image: Getty Images
