Grimes has responded after her ex-husband Elon Musk was accused of performing a fascist salute during Trump’s inauguration.
Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, but it wasn’t his antics that stole the show.
In fact, it was his new friend and colleague Elon Musk who caused a lot of controversy.
During celebrations at the Capital One Arena, Musk delivered an impassioned speech about humanity’s future on Mars.
In a moment of apparent enthusiasm, he pounded his chest and extended his right arm upward at an angle, stating that he felt it in his “heart”.
He repeated the gesture while turning toward an American flag, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
“My heart goes out to you,” Musk proclaimed. “It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured. Thanks to you. We’re gonna have safe cities, finally safe cities. Secure borders, sensible spending. Basic stuff. And we’re gonna take ‘Doge’ to Mars.”
However, the gesture was quickly scrutinized online, with critics comparing it to the infamous Nazi salute.
CNN anchor Erin Burnett described Musk’s actions as “odd-looking,” with co-anchor Kasie Hunt noting the gesture was “evocative of things we have seen through history” and “not something you typically see at American rallies”.
As the discussion unfolded, Musk’s former partner, Grimes, addressed the situation after a fan on X threatened to unfollow her and “cover up” a tattoo of her.
“It is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now,” the Canadian singer, who shares three children with Musk, wrote.
Grimes, who dated Musk from 2018 to 2022, emphasized her independence from the billionaire’s actions, stating: “It’s absurd that someone can be this cancelled for something their ex did before they even heard it happened. 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.”
She added that while she was not asking for sympathy, she prioritizes her children’s well-being. “I promise you it doesn’t feel good to be hated all the time for things I don’t even know about, cannot predict, and cannot control,” she wrote.
Grimes concluded: “I also chose this path, I accept it. I make the best of it, and I simply wish happiness and health to all.”
Musk himself took to X (formerly Twitter) to dismiss the accusations.
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is so tired,” he wrote, referring to what he has previously described as a “dirty tricks campaign” against him after parting ways with the Democratic Party.
Musk also shared a video of his full speech, though the clip – sourced from Fox’s Live Now – did not include the initial gesture that sparked the uproar.
