Lana Del Rey Blocked Ethel Cain, But Why Are the Two Beefing?

Are singers Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain actually beefing? Based on their mid-August 2025 Instagram activity, it certainly seems that way. On Aug. 13, 2025, Lana shared a snippet of track 13 from her upcoming album on Instagram, which fans are dubbing “All About Ethel” (though that is not the confirmed title). In the opening lyrics, Lana sings, “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago post.”

Shortly after, Ethel reportedly posted to her Instagram Stories, “Update: Lana Del Rey has blocked Ethel Cain on Instagram.” It’s unclear whether the two were even following each other, but as of now, they are not Instagram buddies. Considering Lana’s apparent dig at Ethel, coupled with the alleged block, you might be wondering what sparked tension between the two. Here’s what we know about their apparent beef.

Beef between two women usually stems from one of three things: One backstabbed the other in their friendship, there’s a guy at the center of it all, or one violated the unspoken girl code we should all be following. In this case, Lana Del Rey blocking Ethel Cain might actually involve more than one of these reasons, and the drama seems like it’s been brewing for a while.

Lana and Ethel have been compared to each other multiple times, and while singers strive to be independent and stand out, that isn’t actually the root of their beef. Lana likely blocked Ethel because she knew a diss track was on the way and wanted to ensure all ties were cut. The tension stems from what Ethel allegedly said and did in the past, which inspired the line in Lana’s upcoming track criticizing her.

In response to a Pop Base Instagram post, Lana went into more detail about why she’s taken issue with Ethel. “I didn’t know who Ethel was until a few years ago — when someone brought to my attention the disturbing and graphic side-by-side images she would often put up of me next to unflattering creatures and cartoon characters, making constant comments about my weight. I was confused at what she was getting at,” Lana said.

She added, “Then when I heard what she was saying behind closed doors from mutual friends and started inserting herself into my personal life, I was definitely disturbed.” These alleged unflattering posts have yet to surface.

But the drama doesn’t end there. Lana reportedly took a photo with her now-ex-boyfriend, Jack Donoghue, whom she dated around 2022, in front of the Cook County Jail in Chicago. Ethel allegedly also took a photo with Jack, with his hand gently around her waist.

While there’s no confirmation that Ethel and Jack were dating, it’s believed this is what Lana is referencing in track 13 when she sings, “Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago post.” All things considered, it seems Lana had plenty of ammo for her shots at Ethel in the track.