BBL Smell

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About

BBL Smell is a slang term for the purported smell that is emitted by Brazilian butt lifts (BBL). There are two prominent theories as to why a BBL might smell, including necrotizing fat and trapped sweat, or, unrelated to the BBL surgery itself, improper hygiene after the surgery, as a BBL can allegedly make it harder to wipe after using the bathroom. BBL smell has been discussed online since as early as 2017 and became an increasingly prevalent subject of discussion throughout the 2020s, as Brazilian butt lifts became more common. In July 2025, reports that NFL player Stefon Diggs broke up with rapper Cardi B because her BBL stank went viral, inspiring reactions and memes online. Diggs later denied the rumor.

Origin

On May 13th, 2017, RealSelf^[1] user Sx97 made a post titled, "11 days post op from BBL, no matter how many times I shower I still smell, why?" This is the earliest known post asking about BBL smell.

On February 29th, 2024, TikToker^[2] @donpsoundsoff posted a video where he claims that BBLs smell and tells a story about a girl he was going to hook up with whose BBL smelled. In the video, he hypothesizes that the smell comes from a lack of hygiene, as it might be harder to properly wipe with a BBL. The video gained over 4 million views in a year.

Spread

BBL Smell was reported on and discussed numerous times over the following months. Throughout 2024, it was reported on by Essence^[3] and Trill Mag.^[4]

On June 3rd, 2025, X^[5] user @mbalis_bakery posted, "Okay but seriously does a BBL have a smell?" to over 3,100 likes in a month.

On July 6th, Daily Mail^[6] published an article in which they talk with a doctor who warns about BBL smell. The article talks about the possibility of "fat necrosis" causing a smell before also talking about the hygiene issue, reading:

One complication of BBLs is 'fat necrosis,' which causes fatty tissue in the buttocks to die following surgery, an indicator that a patient was overfilled with fat during the procedure.

When there is more fat in an area than the blood supply allows, the fat will die through a smelly process called fat necrosis, which can lead to infections that need antibiotics, hospitalizations, and even sepsis.

Stefon Diggs Says Cardi B Has BBL Smell Rumor

On July 6th, 2025, Cardi B reportedly deleted all the photos of herself and Stefon Diggs, an NFL player whom Cardi had been dating, from Instagram.

This was reported by X user @FearedBuck that day, with X^[7] user @SirTrenchaLot commenting, "He got tired of that BBL smell," garnering over 70 likes in five days. This is the earliest known comment linking the deletion and reported breakup of the two to Cardi B's supposed BBL smell.

On July 7th, the Facebook^[8] page OfficialHHForever posted an alleged screenshot from an interview with Stefon Diggs in which he claims that Cardi's BBL had an "unbearable" smell, garnering over 26,000 reactions and 3,400 shares in four days.

The rumor spread over the following days and was shared by accounts including sportssteady on Instagram,^[9] garnering over 2,400 likes in four days.

On July 8th, 2025, Instagram^[10] user juiceymonae posted a graphic sharing an alleged quote from Diggs, reading, "I TRIED TO HOLD IT DOWN, BUT HER BBL SMELLED LIKE A TRASH BAG IN JULY," garnering over 84,000 likes in three days. Stefon Diggs commented, "Cap," on the post, denying the rumor.^[11] That same day, Vice^[12] published an article about BBL smell.

On July 9th, TikToker^[13] @hoodielingo posted a video talking about the rumor in which he defends Cardi from the accusations and suggests it could just be a hygiene issue, garnering over 725,000 views in two days.

On July 10th, X^[14] user @TheWapplehouse posted a Withered Wojak meme under the caption, "learned about something called 'BBL smell' that’s a result of necrotic fat tissue and dookie from not washing properly," garnering over 1,000 likes in a day.