In a surprising turn of events, former Pussycat Dolls member Nicole Scherzinger has found herself embroiled in a political controversy after commenting on a post by controversial comedian Russell Brand.
On Friday, Brand shared an Instagram photo of himself wearing a red baseball cap that bore the slogan “Make Jesus First Again”—a play on former President Donald Trump’s famous “Make America Great Again” campaign hat. In the comments, Scherzinger expressed interest, writing, “Where do I get this hat???”
The comment quickly sparked backlash from Scherzinger’s fans, who interpreted it as a sign of political alignment with the outspoken Trump supporter Brand. Many accused the singer of revealing herself to be a Trump supporter as well, despite Scherzinger’s history of supporting progressive causes.
Scherzinger apologized and clarified that her comment was not “politically related” in a subsequent statement she posted to her Instagram stories. “When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related, and I apologize to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion,” Scherzinger wrote. People are making assumptions that don’t align with my identity, values, or political choices.
The singer went on to say that she had turned to her faith during this “time of adversity” and thought that engaging with Brand’s post would encourage people to “choose love and faith… above all.”
“I come from a place of love, and I will always support values that bring us closer together,” Scherzinger continued. “It’s so important we come together with compassion and love one another more now than ever.”
However, Scherzinger’s attempt to clarify her stance did little to quell the ongoing backlash. Many fans remained unconvinced, pointing to Brand’s own history of promoting far-right conspiracy theories and his recent baptism, which he claimed was an “opportunity to leave the past behind” amid allegations of sexual assault and abuse.
A social media post that revealed Scherzinger had liked an Instagram post by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been a vocal supporter of Trump and has repeatedly spread misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines, added fuel to the fire.
The controversy has even spilled over into Scherzinger’s former Pussycat Dolls bandmate, Melody Thornton, who seemingly threw subtle shade at the singer by posting a meme of a distressed-looking Ben Affleck.
As the backlash continues to swirl, Scherzinger’s attempts to clarify her intentions have done little to quell the concerns of her fanbase, many of whom feel betrayed by her perceived alignment with controversial figures like Brand and Kennedy Jr. Only time will tell if the singer can weather this storm and regain the trust of her supporters, or if this incident will have lasting consequences for her public image and career.