politics
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Selena Gomez took to social media on Monday (Oct. 31) to encourage her followers to vote for Stacey Abrams in the race for Georgia governor.
“Hi, everyone in Georgia,” the singer says directly to the camera on her Instagram Story. “My friend Stacey Abrams is in an extremely close race to become governor. I’ve worked with Stacey personally, and her commitment to improving mental health access in Georgia is extremely important to me, as the state currently ranks 48th in the nation.”
“Please grab some friends and vote early,” she concluded in her message before directing fans to visit the Democratic candidate’s website and adding one final urge to “please vote!”
Abrams is running in the state’s gubernatorial race against Republican Brian Kemp. The two faced off in a heated final debate ahead of the Nov. 8 election on Sunday night (Oct. 30), covering everything from abortion access and crime to inflation and the economy.
Meanwhile, on a trip this weekend to New York City, Gomez made a pit stop to revisit her Wizards of Waverly Place roots after testing positive for COVID-19 and canceling her planned appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (“A friendly reminder COVID is still out there. Get updated on your boosters,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.)
The superstar also dropped the trailer earlier this month for her upcoming mental health documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, which will premiere Friday (Nov. 4) on Apple TV+.
Watch Gomez’s Story in support of Abrams before it disappears here.
Harry Styles wants YOU to vote! On Monday (Oct. 31), HeadCount reported that the pop star had helped register more than 54,000 new voters in its “Good to Vote” initiative ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
With that number, the “As It Was” crooner has been instrumental in breaking the record for HeadCount’s most successful campaign driven by a musical artist in the organization’s 18-year history. Thanks to Styles’ sweepstakes — which offered fans who registered to vote a chance to win travel and tickets to his annual “Harryween” show in L.A. on Halloween — HeadCount also experienced an all-time high in single day voter registration with 28,760 getting signed up to vote in the contest’s first 24 hours.
According to the nonprofit organization, Styles’ partnership ahead of the upcoming midterms now accounts for one third of the total number of the 190,000 voters they’ve registered throughout 2022. Per a release, HeadCount called the spike in voter registration an “unprecedented number for a midterm season.”
News of Harry’s record-breaking efforts to get out the vote comes just days after he dropped the appropriately fishy music video for his latest Harry’s House single, “Music For a Sushi Restaurant.” In the inventive clip, the British heartthrob plays a washed-up sea creature — complete with a bushy beard and a bottom half made of tentacles — who rockets to fame after transforming himself into a successful lounge singer.
Styles is currently in the middle of his 15-show run at L.A.’s Kia Forum, and also racked up six nominations last week for the upcoming 2022 People’s Choice Awards, which was just one behind Big Bunny’s pack-leading seven nods.
Learn more about Styles’ voter registration campaign with HeadCount on the organization’s website.
Luke Bryan responded to a wave of criticism he’s received for warmly welcoming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to his stage Friday night (Oct. 28).
The country star and American Idol judge brought out DeSantis in front of a Jacksonville, Fla., crowd, on a stop on his Raised Up Right Tour. In footage from the concert, DeSantis is seen tossing swag out to audience members and giving a high five to Bryan, who pats him on the back.
“We’re gonna have some fun and we’re gonna raise some money tonight for the great state of Florida,” Bryan announced at the show.
DeSantis shared a pair of photos on Twitter of the two appearing to have a good time on stage together. He wrote, “Thanks for letting me crash the party last night, @lukebryan!”
Bryan released a statement on Sunday defending his decision to have DeSantis join him at the show. He noted that “this felt right” as part of an effort to help raise awareness and money for people impacted by Hurricane Ian in Florida. The singer had postponed a set of Florida tour dates in September due to the hurricane.
“I typically don’t respond to stuff when I’m getting run down on a social platform but here’s the deal. I understand Governor Desantis is a very polarizing figure,” Bryan wrote on social media Sunday afternoon (Oct. 30). “But I grew up in a country where if a governor ask you if they can come and raise awareness to help victims of a natural disaster you help.”
“I’ve generally stayed out of politics throughout my career,” said Bryan. “I knew people would chatter about this but for me the more important piece was if I am going to come back there a few weeks after a large portion of people have been affected by a natural disaster in a state where people have been good to me this felt right. Raise awareness, have a little fun between the GA and FL college fans before the game and do what I love on stage.”
He closed the note by writing, “This is all I am saying about this. I’ll be outdoors with my boys. Enjoy your Sunday.”
“Your greeting of DeSantis on stage certainly appeared to be more than wanting to help Hurricane victims. It looked like a full endorsement of DeSantis – DeSantis is worse than polarizing,” one person commented on Bryan’s post. It was one of the top comments of more than 13,000, a significant uptick from the usual amount of comments seen on the singer’s tweets.
“So, it’s impossible to support victims of a hurricane while also supporting the LGBTQ community?” another asked. DeSantis was behind Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits instruction in Florida schools on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through grade three, or in any grade “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
“You can raise awareness (and money) with your own name,” noted another Twitter user. “Having Desantis on stage with you have the impression (true or not) that you supported him. In this day and age, we all have to be willing to speak out against lies, hate and injustice.”
Below, see a video clip of the moment Bryan welcomed DeSantis to the stage, followed by Bryan’s statement.
One month, one week and two days ago, Mahsa Jina Amini succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Tehran, and sparked the most widespread Iranian uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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Amini was not an activist or a political leader. She was a shy law student who enjoyed singing along to Iranian pop sensation Googoosh and was visiting Tehran from her hometown of Saqez in the Kurdistan Province.
The 22-year-old was detained on the street by Iran’s “morality police” due to the style of her hijab (head coverings are mandatory in Iran for females over the age of 9) and taken into a van by officers. She fell into a coma in police custody, and died two days later.
While Iranian officials claim she died from a heart attack, a United Nations report — as well as Amini’s relatives and nearby eye witnesses — say she was severely beaten during her arrest, and later died as a result of her injuries.
For the last 38 days since her death, the streets of Iran have been flooded by protestors across class and gender, all demanding a new government and basic human rights. According to experts, the protests may be the first counter-revolution in history to be led by women. Across the globe, solidarity protests are being held in cities like Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris, with over 80,000 people gathering for one protest alone, 2,000 miles away in Berlin.
“I switch between feelings of hope and despair like day and night,” explains Iranian-Dutch artist Sevdaliza. “Yet, this might be the first time in my life that I believe in change.”
Sevdaliza, born Sevda Alizadeh, has been vocal about the uprisings, releasing the song “Woman Life Freedom” in support of the plight of women in her home country. Music is an instrumental tool in uplifting individuals driving change in any given society, with Shervin Hajipour’s “Baraye” exploding overnight into the battle cry of Iranians back home and across the diaspora. After going viral overnight, the song was removed from social media and later re-uploaded. “Baraye” even racked up 95,000 out of 115,000 submissions for the Grammys’ new song for social change merit award. Hajipour was arrested by Iranian officials due to the song, and was subsequently released on bail awaiting trial.
According to current Iranian law, women are not allowed to sing in public. This means that for artists like Sevdaliza and Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Snoh Aalegra, the act of creating and performing music means fearing violence or imprisonment upon return to Iran. “I long for the day I am able to visit my home country without having to be afraid of what might happen to me as a female artist who sings openly about love and life,” says Aalegra. “Iran is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It always felt so strange that I can’t physically experience my own home country that I am so deeply proud of being from.”
For many Iranians outside of their homeland, a successful revolution would mean the chance to step foot on their own soil for the first time ever, without fear. “I have not been [to Iran], and my dad hasn’t been back since my parents left in ’79,” says Rostam Batmanglij, songwriter, producer and Vampire Weekend founding member. Batmanglij’s parents fled to France as refugees following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and later settled down in Washington, D.C.
“I do think those young people [protesting] will take over and bring on a system of government and a constitution that really protects the people and allows them to live freely,” he says. “This is my hope.”
While protests erupted in Iran many times since the 1979 revolution, the latest string of uprisings are the boldest and most internationally visible since the 2009 Green Revolution. Celebrities and politicians alike have stepped up and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people, including president Joe Biden, Oprah, Harry Styles, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, and countless others.
Billboard spoke to Iranian musicians Snoh Aalegra, Sevdaliza and Batmanglij on what’s happening in Iran and how fans can help.
What feelings does it bring up for you to see what’s been taking place in Iran over the last month?
SEVDALIZA: It’s incredibly painful to see your country suffer. I switch between feelings of hope and despair like day and night. Yet, this might be the first time in my life that I believe in change. I also feel more proud than ever to be an Iranian woman. The rest of the world is finally starting to understand what our mothers, sisters, and grandmothers had to endure for the past 40+ years. Iranian women are lions.
AALEGRA: A mix of hopefulness and pride for my people, but I also feel very helpless at the same time. It’s very touching and inspirational to see how Iranians from all genders, generations, and ethnicities are coming together to fight for the change I know the people have been longing for.
BATMANGLIJ: At this point, it seems like the protests and the response from the Iranian people is going to do something. It hasn’t quieted down. I felt optimistic that what was happening wouldn’t be like before. My parents felt a little differently. [When it began], they felt like there was a futility to any kind of response the people could have. But I think they are getting more and more optimistic.
What does this uprising represent for the people of Iran?
AALEGRA: The oppression against women has been going on for way too long. It is very important that the world supports the people of Iran and their loud cry for basic human rights. The courage and bravery these incredible women possess is beyond powerful. They are leading the voice for a brighter future. They are willing to die for the freedom of the Iranian people. Thanks to social media, we can see the news being spread and talked about, but there has been a brutal silence from the major media outlets and it’s shameful. We need more attention in the media on what’s going on in Iran.
SEVDALIZA: I feel like this is the end of an era. It feels like the Iranian people’s revolution. These girls, women, and activists are changing the lens the world sees Iran. They are a new frontier of leadership and courage, and if we lean in and listen to them and amplify their voices, we may all be able to return home. We are here to help execute their vision. They are the one’s doing the work while we [allies] are all here rooting for them.
Shervin Hajipour’s “Baraye” (For…) has become the anthem of Iranians everywhere. What’s the role of that song, and music in general, when it comes to sociopolitical movements?
BATMANGLIJ: When I went to the protest [in Los Angeles], that was the song on repeat as we marched. It’s a powerful song. That’s why it’s hard to listen to sometimes because you’re like, I’m going through this again. I’m reliving every emotion that I’ve ever had about Iran and injustice. I think a song like that has the universality to reach however many millions of people around the world within one day, and I hope more people get to hear it.
SEVDALIZA: Music, for me, serves as a reflection of the times. I feel a responsibility as an artist to create art that reflects my inner world. Art has the ability to reimagine a new world. Music is like the visionary, while its audience serves as a platform for those ideas. Music is a powerful catalyst for change. Specifically in Iran, freedom of expression continues to be suppressed; when music is created to empower communities in need, it becomes incredibly meaningful.
AALEGRA: Music has always been a healing and comforting medium, the glue to all art forms. It’s so powerful to see “Baraye” unite all Iranians across the world. I think every Farsi-speaking person can sing that song at the top of their lungs and mean every word regardless of who they are. I commend Shervin Hajipour’s bravery of releasing this anthem and taking the consequences for it.
How can people help Iranians right now?
SEVDALIZA: By staying united and focused. By sharing the news from credible and trusted sources. We must be extremely careful to not oversimplify when speaking about the revolution in Iran. We must be mindful of not being tricked into sharing divisive messaging as we can involuntarily bring harm when we attempt to help. If there is no room for all, there is room for none. Blood and life are shedding in the streets of Iran. It is up to us to make it count.
AALEGRA: By amplifying the voices of the people of Iran through posting and spreading awareness as much as we can. Support human rights organizations in Iran such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the campaign for human rights in Iran. Join the demonstrations taking place in a lot of the major cities around the world. Anything that can shine some light and give the people of Iran the support and hope they deserve.
BATMANGLIJ: It feels super critical that what happened in 1953 is part of the context for how everybody in America talks about Iran. It’s been erased for so long. Americans need to know the history of how we got here, and they should feel responsible. They have to make a somewhat active effort to learn about the history of their own country’s colonialism and white supremacy. I think that once you get there, then we can have more conversations based on shared knowledge and amount of information. People weren’t taught it in their classrooms. Maybe they were taught what happened but they weren’t taught why, because it incriminates the West.
What is most important for non-Iranians to take away from what’s happening in Iran?
SEVDALIZA: I read this in an article, and I think it’s important to understand why revolution can only be successful if it’s led from within.
“The only way resistance against the dictatorship can endure is if all struggles obtain recognition and are represented in the narrative of this ongoing revolution. To make room for others does not equal stepping aside. If there is no room for all, there is room for none.”
The reality in Iran is such that there are complex parallel struggles led by different groups. These must be fueled with oxygen in order for the protests to continue and not die out.
ROSTAM: Just like we in America aren’t happy with everything that’s happening, I think people living in Iran are not happy with everything that’s happening in their country and they want change. We have a lot to learn in America about how to effectively change our government, because the will of the people is not being obeyed here either. The overturning of Roe vs. Wade, it’s clear that’s not what Americans want. We have to figure out how to get what we want, just like Iranians are doing in Iran.
Stacey Abrams held up a “my body, my choice” sign on stage as Latto performed “Pussy” in Atlanta Saturday night (Oct. 22).
The Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia took the stage at the State Farm Arena, where Latto was opening for Lizzo on The Special Tour. The message on the sign Abrams held high was echoed with a speech given to the crowd.
“I’m not gonna interrupt your fun. I just want to remind you that if you believe in my body, my choice, I need your vote,” Abrams said.
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“I need your big energy,” she added. “Let’s get it!”
On Instagram, Abrams posted: “Thank you for sharing your stage with me, @latto777. Time to vote and protect a woman’s right to choose. StaceyAbrams.con/voting.”
Abrams debated with current Republican Governor Brian Kemp earlier this week, as early voting commenced.
“This is a governor who for the last four years has beat his chest but delivered very little for most Georgians,” she said, according to reporting by The Associated Press. “He’s weakened gun laws and flooded our streets. He’s weakened … women’s rights. He’s denied women the access to reproductive care. The most dangerous thing facing Georgia is four more years of Brian Kemp.”
Below, see a clip from Latto’s show shared by Abrams herself, as well as her speech which was captured by a fan at the show.
I don’t know if y’all can hear this because I’m still at the concert, but Latto brought out Stacey Abrams and she gave a RIVETING speech. The crowd went UP for the future Governor of Georgia! #SpecialTour pic.twitter.com/6eIDu4zHFs— aw…ooh…alright! (@TheGreatIsNate) October 23, 2022
So it’s gonna be forever… or it’s gonna go down in flames. Liz Truss may be out as U.K. prime minister, but one of the country’s major news channels sent her off with a montage set to a Taylor Swift smash.
While the outgoing politician lasted just 44 days in office before resigning, the cheeky tribute was particularly fitting considering she posted a selfie with the superstar back in 2019 while attending the BAFTAs.
A reporter for Channel 4 News opened the segment by saying, “Miss Truss said that her favorite song was ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift. We’ll leave you with that and some images of her. Good night.”
From there, the montage reads as something of a Swiftie fancam as Tay’s voice sings, “Nice to meet you, where you been/ I could show you incredible things/ Magic, madness, heaven, sin/ Saw you there and I thought/ Oh my god, look at that face/ You look like my next mistake/ Love’s a game, wanna play?” over clips of the conservative politician’s short stint in office.
Naturally, the Twitterverse could hardly get enough of the video, with one fan writing, “IM IN TEARS THERES NO WAY CHANNEL 4 DID THIS HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAB #LizTruss.”
Meanwhile, Swift is just hours away from releasing her landmark 10th studio album Midnights at, obviously, midnight on Friday (Oct. 21). Funny enough, the rollout for the highly anticipated LP has actually lasted longer than Truss’ entire career as the U.K.’s shortest-serving prime minister.
Watch Truss’ brief reign as the top politician in Great Britain be memorialized to “Blank Space” below.
Taylor Swift is encouraging Swifties to do their civic duty. With less than 48 hours left to go until the release of her new album Midnights, the pop star took to Instagram to remind fans that there’s not much time before another very important event goes down: the midterm elections.
“It’s time to vote early!” she wrote on her Story. “There are only 20 midnights until the 2022 United States Midterm Elections on November 8.”
“If you’re in Tennessee, you can cast your ballot today through November 3 at Early Voting sites!” she continued, sharing a link to non-profit organization Vote.org, which works to reach underserved voters. “Waits are usually shorter than on Election Day. Most states offer some type of early voting. Register to vote and find Early Voting locations in your state at Vote.org.”
The “All Too Well” singer’s post isn’t the first time she’s weighed in on her home state’s political races. In 2018, she endorsed two Tennessee Democrats — Phil Bredesen, running for U.S. Senate, and incumbent U.S. House member Rep. Jim Cooper — and urged fans not to give their support to Republican senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who ended up winning the race.
“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift said on social media at the time. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.”
“Taylor has been a steadfast supporter of Vote.org and we’re so thrilled that she continues to use her platform to engage voters and ensure everyone — in Tennessee and beyond — is ready to vote,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, in a statement Wednesday. “With only 20 days until Election Day, and two days until Taylor’s new album releases, we’re grateful that she’s reminding people just how critical it is to make our voices heard at the ballot box on or before Nov. 8.”
For information on how to register to vote, check your registration status and find early voting locations, visit Vote.org.
The Aldean family conflict with Maren Morris reached a new peak at Jason Aldean‘s concert Friday night (Oct. 14). While teasing the identity of his show’s surprise guest — who turned out to be Morgan Wallen — the “You Make It Easy” singer name-dropped Morris and paused as his Bridgestone Arena crowd in Nashville loudly booed.
“I thought, man, who could I call?” Aldean told his audience in fan-captured video, drawing out the suspense of his surprise guest. “I got some friends in town. I could call Luke Bryan. I could call Kane Brown. See if Kenny Chesney’s here and not at the beach.”
Then, he simply said the name of “The Middle” singer, before trailing off as his audience audibly jeered.
This follows an August social media disagreement between Morris and Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean. After Brittany made a transphobic joke on Instagram (“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life,” she’d captioned a makeup video). She followed it up with an Instagram Stories statement in which she doubled down on her stance. “Advocating for the genital mutilation of children under the disguise of love and calling it ‘gender affirming care’ is one of the worst evils,” she posted. “I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their innocence.”
In a response to Cassadee Pope, who had tweeted her opposition to Brittany’s comments, Morris agreed with the singer and former Voice contestant. “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human?” replied the “Make You Say” singer. “Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
In September, Morris opened up about why she feels so strongly about speaking out when it comes to social justice issues, even when her fellow country artists and fans of the genre oftentimes disagree with her — and do things like, say, boo the mention of her name at a concert.
“I try to rise above — not even bad behavior, but just expected behavior that has become normalized that is bad,” she told Apple Music Country’s Proud Radio with Hunter Kelly. “[My husband’s] like, ‘I hate that you always feel like you have to be the hall monitor of modern country music’s behaviors in and around race and homophobia, transphobia.’”
“I don’t need to feel like I have to always be that person that speaks up,” she continued. “I think I come across a lot louder than I actually am because everyone else is so quiet.”
Watch a fan video of Morris’ name getting booed at a Jason Aldean concert below:
Beto O’Rourke is feeling golden after earning Harry Styles‘ endorsement. The Democrat, who is running against incumbent Greg Abbot in Texas’ gubernatorial race in the Nov. 8 general election, is sharing how he feels about the pop superstar showing his support during his Oct. 2 concert in Austin.
“To have his support and to get that push from him, it was really just wonderful,” O’Rourke told Hysteria podcast hosts Erin Ryan and Alyssa Mastromonaco on the episode that dropped Thursday (Oct. 13).
During that sold-out show in Austin — which the politician attended — the “As It Was” singer stood quietly in front of a microphone with his brown and black guitar. As shown on the massive screens in the Moody Center, Styles then started to gently rock the instrument back and forth. As the camera zooms in on the guitar, it focuses on a black-and-white sticker that read “Beto for Texas,” which Styles highlighted by repeatedly pointing to and drawing circles with his fingers around.
“So many young people who weren’t really plugged into this campaign — or really this race — or maybe didn’t know there was an election taking place in Texas or the issues … they’re taking notice,” O’Rourke continued during his chat on the podcast. “They’re curious and they’re coming out and they’re getting registered to vote. So that was a huge boost, and I am so grateful to him.”
The gubernatorial hopeful added that he also had the chance to chat about O’Rourke’s run for governor with the star after meeting him backstage. “He had watched the debate that we had a few days before,” the former presidential hopeful shared. “He said, ‘Brilliant job in the debate.’”
“How cool that he’s watching and paying attention,” O’Rourke added. “But I think he is for the same reason that we’re talking right now, that there’s probably no state that has a greater bearing on this country’s future on the issues that matter most: voting rights, reproductive healthcare freedom, gun violence. I mean, you name it, it is right here in Texas, and he’s well aware of that.”
Styles has been vocal on the issues of gun violence and reproductive rights. After the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 young children and two teachers in May, the singer-songwriter announced that he had partnered with Everytown, a non-profit organization that works to end gun violence, and would be donating profits from his Love on Tour trek.
Then, during one of his six shows at the Moody Center in Austin, Styles spoke out on his stance regarding women’s reproductive rights. “No one can tell you what to do with your own body, it’s yours,” the star said, according to Fox 7 in Austin.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, Texas has triggered a near-total abortion ban with the Human Life Protection Act. Under this law, any physician who performs an abortion in the state could not only lose their medical license, but also face a potential life prison sentence and massive fine. Texas also has a law — Senate Bill 8 — that prohibits an abortion to be performed after a heartbeat is detected, which could be as early as six weeks.
Watch Beto O’Rourke talk about Harry Styles’ support below:
A little over a week after Candace Owens supported Kanye West by attending his Paris Fashion Week show, the rapper has returned the favor. West joined the conservative political commentator on the red carpet premiere of her new film, Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, in Nashville on Wednesday night (Oct. 12), with Ray J and Kid Rock at his side at times.
As summarized by a description on Owens’ YouTube channel, the film investigates the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and how it raised millions of dollars by using the “chaos” of the protests. Owens has long been outspoken about her opposition to the BLM movement, founded after the 2013 murder of Trayvon Martin “to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities,” according to the organization’s official website.
Ye and Owens both arrived at the premiere dressed in all black, marking the second time recently that the two have worn matching outfits. At his Oct. 3 Yeezy season 9 show in Paris, West sparked public outrage by posing for a photo with Owens while both of them wore shirts with “White Lives Matter” printed on the back. The phrase is classified as representing a “racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter,” according to Southern Poverty Law Center.
At the premiere, the “Donda” artist paired his black oversized tuxedo jacket with a baseball cap printed with “2024” — the year of the next presidential election — on the brim. The hat is the latest hint given by West that he plans on running for president in 2024 following his failed bid for president in 2020.
Also sporting black at the premiere was Ray J, who stood for photos next to Ye and a leather jacket-wearing Kid Rock (who, like Ye, supported Donald Trump) on the red carpet. Ray J and Ye have something of a complicated history. Ray J recently alleged that his 2007 sex tape with West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, was orchestrated by Kardashian’s mother/manager, Kris Jenner.
In an April episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim claimed that West had met up with Ray J to retrieve unreleased footage of the tape, which Ray J then said was false in heated comment on Instagram. If there was any beef between the two musicians, though, it seems they have since put it to rest.
Ye’s appearance at Owens’ film screening comes on the heels of not just his “White Lives Matter” controversy, but his anti-Semitic comments as well. He was recently suspended from Instagram and Twitter for posting hostile remarks aimed at Jewish people, something celebrities such as Ariana Grande, John Legend, Jack Antonoff, Jamie Lee Curtis and more have publicly condemned.
See more photos of Kanye West with Candace Owens, Ray J and Kid Rock at the premiere of Greatest Lie Ever Sold below:
Kanye West and Candace Owens attend the “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold” Premiere Screening on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jason Davis/GI for DailyWire+
Ray J, Kid Rock, and Kanye West attend the “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold” Premiere Screening on October 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jason Davis/GI for DailyWire+