Grimes has said she’s “happy to denounce Nazi-ism” after her former partner Elon Musk was accused of giving a “Nazi salute” during an inauguration celebration for Donald Trump.
The world’s richest man was hit with a wave of immediate outrage online after he made a salute that many felt resembled the infamous Nazi gesture during his speech at the Capitol One Arena on Monday (January 20).
That outrage extended to his former partner Grimes. The Canadian musician, 36, shares three children with the 53-year-old Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
On Musk’s social media platform, X, one fan wrote that she was preparing to unfollow Grimes and cover up a tribute tattoo because of the incident.
In a reply to the tweet, Grimes distanced herself from the controversy, writing: “While I deeply respect your concern - 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. I don’t know what happened and I will not make a rash statement.”
She continued: “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.”
Asked by another user to clarify her political position, Grimes added: “I’m happy to denounce Nazi-ism - and the far alt right. Would that help clear things up?”
She added: “I’ve just gotten out of breakfast and have to catch a flight, and am still debating how to approach things diplomatically because I feel in over my head. But if there’s concern about that, I am happy to set the record strait [sic] in a meaningful way. If I don’t respond for another 5 hrs it’s cus there’s no wifi on my flight.”
Musk himself has responded to the controversy, but did not outright deny that he was emulating a fascist salute when he twice shot his right arm in an angular direction with the palm facing down. Instead, he said his critics needed “better dirty tricks” because attacking their political opponents as Adolf Hitler is “sooo tired.”
Historians of fascism and neo-Nazism have also weighed in following Musk’s speech, saying that they believed Musk’s gesture was a “sieg heil” and that viewers “should believe your eyes.” Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, added: “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”
