Fans and foes of Nicole Scherzinger, the Pussycat Doll turned star of Broadway’s new production of “Sunset Blvd.," are dragging her name on social media after she was discovered to have favorably engaged with an Instagram photo of Russell Brand’s new red hat. And while the hat in question wasn't a MAGA hat, specifically, a vast majority of the internet is ruling that "Make Jesus First Again" — as the text on Brand's accessory reads — is close enough.
The buzzy controversy kicked off on Thursday after Brand shared the photo of himself beaming, holding his red hat up for all to see, to which Scherzinger commented, “Where do I get this hat?” And though she has since deleted this comment, she didn't delete it fast enough, and feeds soon flooded with commentary from an expanse of people calling for her head.
"Well the Best Actress Tony race just got a little less competitive," Adam Feldman, Time Out New York's theater editor wrote in a post to X. With hundreds of others falling in line throughout the night and into the morning hours.
Well the Best Actress Tony race just got a little less competitive pic.twitter.com/X7pPAPoyyY
— Adam Feldman (@FeldmanAdam) November 7, 2024
"Nicole Scherzinger really thought it was a great idea to come out as a Trump supporter? When she's literally on the verge of a Tony nomination. Broadway is run by gay and trans people. After a flop attempt of a solo career, she finally found her niche and ruins it," another person chimed in.
And somehow, as the mess unfolded, even the legendary Patti LuPone got pulled into it, having infamously been canned by Andrew Lloyd Webber from her role as Norma Desmond in the 1993 London production of Sunset Boulevard, dissing the revival in a recent appearance on "The View" where she called it "lumbering."
"Oh Nicole Scherzinger it is over for you," a Broadway fan remarked on X regarding the above. "Patti Lupone wins EVERY single time."
According to Variety, Scherzinger has yet to comment on the controversy.
