Famous on the internet since before she joined the singer’s band, the musician ended up creating a “shell” in relation to negative and sexist comments
In 2022, Sophie Lloyd became even better known when she joined the singer’s touring band Machine Gun Kelly. However, the guitarist is no newcomer in terms of popularity: she has accumulated a huge number of followers on social media for years due to her videos playing the instrument.
On YouTube alone, Lloyd now has more than 1 million subscribers on his channel. On Instagram, there are more than 950 thousand followers. The numbers were already large even before his professional involvement with MGK, as footage of him doing “shred” versions of rock classics easily went viral on the web.
Like any popular artist these days, she has to deal with haters, whether through sexist comments or simply derogatory comments in general. In an interview with Primordial Radio (via Killer Guitar Rigs), Sophie told how she initially reacted to this type of manifestation, without denying the shock she suffered.
“It really affected me in the first few days. It’s horrible to see people judging your personality like that, especially when it’s so far from who you are, what you are.”
A common type of comment that Lloyd faces online is regarding the shorter clothes he wears both in videos recorded at home and at shows. According to her, even the press specializing in rock and heavy metal sometimes addresses this point, accusing her of “relying on short outfits, when men don’t do that”. In her view, it’s a big lie.
“I have so many points about this. First, have you seen any of Lenny Kravitz’s recent Instagram posts? He’s extremely sexual, you can tell [risos]. Secondly, men didn’t do this because they used women for their own benefit, like Mötley Crüe, used naked girls on their cover and music videos. This has become a symbol of rock and roll that people have loved for so many years. And then finally women take back the power and say ‘I feel confident doing it this way, I do it for myself’. We’re not doing this for you guys. We’re doing this because that’s what makes us feel confident.”
Affair rumor with Machine Gun Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly’s joining the band led to a rumor, in early 2023, that Sophie Lloyd was the artist’s lover. This emerged around the same time as a rumor regarding MGK’s marriage to actress Megan Fox, which was reportedly on the rocks. The two remain together to this day and Lloyd continues to perform with the musician, which only confirms how unfounded the gossip was.
Regarding this situation specifically, she reflected:
“Everyone would make jokes about it, but after a week it would all be over. That’s the problem with this gossip: at the time it seemed like the end of the world, but now I don’t even remember it. It literally only lasts a week and is over. People move on to new things.”
Sophie even joked that she is an “internet drama fanatic”. The guitarist even saw some videos that reinforced rumors of an alleged affair with her boss.
“Sometimes I would see some videos on TikToks and think: ‘oh, look how I look at him’. Even I was believing it! [Risos] If I weren’t the character in the situation, I would be totally involved in that drama.”
Lloyd also highlighted the “peaceful” part of it all: she received support from those close to her.
“I was very lucky because no one (from the band and crew) questioned it. Everyone knew that this type of comment was always a lie, invented out of nowhere. And everyone around me was nice.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
