Alicia Keys Sparks Backlash For Paragliding Post After Hamas Attack, Insists Her Reference Was Completely Unrelated
Alicia Keys is getting slammed by her social media followers after posting about wanting to take up paragliding, which many thought was in support of Hamas.
Alicia Keys is getting slammed by her social media followers after posting about wanting to take up paragliding, which many thought was in support of Hamas.
Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty
On Monday, the singer posted a picture of herself wearing a green leather jacket along with the caption, “What would you do if u weren’t afraid of anything??? Tell me your truth…I’ve had my eyes on paragliding…????????”
This immediately garnered backlash, with some of Keys’ Instagram followers saying that simply referencing paragliding was triggering given their use by Hamas terrorists during the attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Some of Alicia’s followers even suggested that she was intentionally wearing green in support of Hamas.
Shortly thereafter, Keys deleted the post, going on to upload a short statement to her Instagram Stories insisting that her mention of the activity was completely unrelated to the terrorist attacks.
“The post I shared was COMPLETELY unrelated in any way to the recent devastating loss of innocent lives,” the performer said. “My heart has been breaking…. I pray for and stand for peace.”
As mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter, Keys and her husband Swizz Beatzs live in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, which is a popular area for paragliding. She also spoke about paragliders using the area around her house, and how she wanted to try it one day, in an appearance on The Breakfast Club in Dec. 2021.
Guy Oseary–an Israeli-American who previously managed Keys while she was with his company Maverick–also defended the singer on Instagram, insisting her post was not intended to be antisemitic.
“There’s talk of an antisemitic post that my dear friend Alicia Keys had up on her Instagram. I can confirm to anyone in my ✡️ community that needs to hear it: it’s NOT true,” Oseary wrote. “There was a specific word in her post that our community at this very painful time find very triggering, but it was absolutely not connected in any way. I spoke to Alicia and she was horrified to learn what the word implied and immediately took it down.”
He continued, “Alicia has always been a fighter for all human rights. I’ve had a front row seat for over a decade of seeing her positive influence in the world. Her humanitarian work reflects her empathy and her heart.”
Swizz Beatz also commented on Oseary’s post, thanking him for defending his wife and reiterating that she made a mistake.
“Thank you guy we love you!” Beatz began. “We have a school outside of our home and that’s what she was talking about getting rid of her rear for heights. I wish peace and love ????.”
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