HAT IN HAND

Nicole Scherzinger Says Sorry for Russell Brand Hat Backlash

The Broadway star said she came from a “place of love” when she liked Brand’s riff on a MAGA hat.

Nicole Scherzinger has issued an apology after she received intense backlash for liking a MAGA-styled hat modeled by “comedian” Russell Brand.

Brand seemed to brandish the hat—which said, “Make Jesus First Again”—in the moments after President-elect Donald Trump clinched his return to the White House.

He captioned the photo with, “God Bless America.” And while Scherzinger was impressed with his hat trick, writing, “Where do I get this hat?” with prayer hands, others weren’t so impressed. In comments, social media users accused her of making a thinly veiled show of support of MAGA.

However, she insisted she “made the mistake of not realizing” that her comment could be “interpreted as being politically related” in a statement posted to her Instagram stories, reported Variety.

“Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for. Many of the marginalized communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most. I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career,” the statement continued. “If you know me, you know that. Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith.”

However, Scherzinger’s ex-bandmate Melody Thorton seemed to throw shade her way as the backlash around her grew, reported the Daily Mail.

Thornton, who has publicly feuded with Scherzinger, posted a meme of Ben Affleck smoking a cigarette with a pained expression on his face. And the post seemed to capture how several people felt about this week’s turn of events.

“I’m cryinggggg,” wrote one social media commentator.

Emell Derra AdolphusNews Reporter

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