Chloe Bailey has sparked a backlash online after posting enthusiastically about attending a Kanye West show.
The 27-year-old singer and actor posted a string of videos to her Instagram account live from West’s performance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
She captioned one clip “legendary” and another “so inspired.”
West’s current tour, which began Wednesday, mark his first U.S. concerts since 2021. In that time, West has repeatedly made antisemitic statements, described himself as a Nazi, released a song called “Heil Hitler” and sold T-shirts emblazoned with swastikas.
Online, many commenters criticized Bailey for openly supporting West. On X, one wrote: “chloe baby.. put the phone down omfg.”
Another added: “Wtf is wrong with her? I tried to give her a 2nd chance after that Chris Brown collab but forget it.”
In 2023, fans condemned Bailey for collaborating on a single with Chris Brown.
Brown has been a controversial figure since 2009, when he pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He received five years of probation, community service hours and domestic violence counseling.
West is scheduled to play dates around the world over the next few months before arriving in London to headline all three nights of Wireless Festival in July. That booking has been heavily criticized by Jewish leaders and British politicians.
“It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday.
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“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly wherever it appears. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure,” he added.
West recently took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for years of offensive outbursts and antisemitic remarks.
Nevertheless, Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of Shomrim, Stamford Hill, and chair of the Arab-Jewish Forum, told The Independent that the rapper’s scheduled appearance in the U.K. is “deeply, deeply troubling.”
“He’s a highly gifted and talented person, and therefore it is very sad that he hasn’t managed to overcome his antisemitic attitudes, even though he’s tried a number of times, but sadly he hasn’t succeeded yet,” said Rabbi Gluck.
“Until he succeeds, I think it’s highly inappropriate that he should appear at public events in the U.K., because at present there is a strong possibility that he will be seen as a de-stabilizing figure who will exacerbate antisemitic tensions in the country, sadly,” he said.
