Nicole Scherzinger , currently starring in Broadway’s new production of “Sunset Blvd.,” drew criticism on social media Thursday evening after she posted a positive comment on Instagram, beaming at a post by Russell Brand in which he flashes a red hat reading “Make Jesus First Again.” Posted in the hours ahead of the U.
S. presidential election, Brand captioned the post “God Bless America.” “Where do I get this hat?” Scherzinger wrote in a now-deleted comment, alongside a prayer hands emoji and a red heart emoji.
Many fans took offense to Scherzinger’s positive sentiment toward iconography associated with Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan and signature red hat campaign wardrobe, just a day after the Republican nominee defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election. A representative for Scherzinger was not immediately available for comment. Along with the Trump-related imagery, others have noted the additional controversy of engaging with Brand himself, who was accused of “rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse” by five women in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times of London and Channel 4 last September.
A subsequent lawsuit accusing the actor and comedian of another act of sexual assault was filed two months later. Brand has denied such claims. Though the “Arthur” and “Get Him to the Greek” actor hasn’t acted in major TV shows or films in recent years, he has committed himself to his production company Legitima.
