Grimes has issued a new statement denouncing ‘Nazi-ism’ pushed by “trolls” in her fanbase.
Last week (January 22), the pop artist responded to controversy that followed the appearance of ex-partner Elon Musk at Donald Trump‘s Presidential inauguration, where he slapped his chest with his right hand, and flung his arm up diagonally upwards. Musk turned around to crowd members behind the podium before repeating the gesture.
Many have compared since the gesture to a Nazi salute signalling obedience to Adolf Hitler. Grimes previously stated that she wouldn’t respond immediately as she needed time to “research the state of affairs” and did not want to “say something that will create an international scandal”.
However, she did clarify that she should not have to be held accountable for his actions: “I am not him. I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting.”
Yesterday (January 28), Grimes published a lengthy tweet on X in an effort to “address a certain toxicity in the Grimes fandom”, where “some persistent trolls on Reddit have been pushing this white spremacy/ Nazi thing”. Her tweet, however, does not name Musk or refer to the inauguration incident.
She continued: “If it wasn’t clear – ****I very much denounce Nazi-ism and white supremacy*****,” she wrote. “I am sorry I didn’t take this more seriously sooner, I did not realize the extent of the issue. But it has come to my attention from some of yall that this has been creating a lot of trouble.”
Grimes alleged that these Reddit accounts have been “stalking and harassing” her family and friends – for example, she added, “calling workplaces of non white friends and trying to get them fired for being supposed nazis”.
Hello! I'd like to address a certain toxicity in the Grimes fandom. For a few years now some persistent trolls on Reddit have been pushing this white supremacy/ Nazi thing. (Reddit refuses to respond to us about this).
If it wasn't clear – ****I very much denounce Nazi-ism…
— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 28, 2025
She claimed that Reddit has “refused” to respond to her concerns. “But also my bad for not realizing it was a bigger issue for the rest of you as well,” she wrote. “I am truly sorry.” She assured fans that she “will work harder to deal with” these accounts.
Musk has been criticised in the past for letting pro-Nazi profiles thrive on X/Twitter, sharing right-wing memes and seemingly supporting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Per Time, the latter resulted in an exodus of advertisers from the platform in 2023.
His gesture at the inauguration sparked backlash by social media users, including reactions by Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero, and Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Chloe Fineman, who had previously stated that Musk’s previous involvement with the sketch comedy show included an exchange with Fineman that allegedly made her cry.
Reddit communities also began campaigning a move seeking to ban any posts with links to X/Twitter in protest of the incident. Also among those who spoke out against Musk following the gesture include his estranged daughter, Vivian Wilson, who said “let’s call a spade a fucking spade”.
Even ahead of the gesture, a number of famous faces left the social media site following Musk’s takeover. “Time to go,” wrote The Cure‘s Robert Smith earlier this month while The Last Dinner Party quit X at the end of last year due to “the platform’s continued spread of misinformation and right-wing political bias”.