Cher, who had a hit with “Believe,” believes that if only she had been there the day George Floyd died she could’ve prevented it.
On Friday, the 74-year-old performer wrote on Twitter: “Was talking With Mom & She Said ‘I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd, & Cried’. I Said ‘Mom, Is Gonna Sound CRAZY, But.. I Kept Thinking …..Maybe If I’d Been There,…I Could’ve Helped.”
Cher got slammed on the social media site for her white savior sentiment in her since-deleted tweet.
“I love my Cher but oof. That was a little too white savior complex for me. I know she means well and probably doesn’t understand but.. honey… no,” one wrote, according to the Daily Mail.
“This is significantly underplaying what witnesses who testified TRIED to do to stop his death. There have been MULTIPLE testimonies of everyone from a firefighter to an MMA fighter to a senior man who attempted to diffuse the situation. Singing songs doesn’t erase racism, Cher,” wrote another.
This is significantly underplaying what witnesses who testified TRIED to do to stop his death. There have been MULTIPLE testimonies of everyone from a firefighter to an MMA fighter to a senior man who attempted to diffuse the situation. Singing songs doesn't erase racism, Cher. pic.twitter.com/oATlfe7kOw
— Shamontiel 🐾 📚 🌊 (@Maroonsista) April 3, 2021
Said yet another, citing one of the singer’s hits: “If only Cher could turn back time!”
The punctuation-challenged entertainer, who capitalizes nearly every word, later took to Twitter to explain.
“Wrestled With This Twt, Because I Thought some ppl wouldn’t understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being,suffering & Dying,even if It’s Only Shown On tv. You Don’t Know What I’ve Done,Who I Am, Or What I Believe.I CAN,I HAVE,& I WILL..HELP,” Cher wrote.
Wrestled With This Twt, Because I Thought some ppl wouldn’t understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being,suffering & Dying,even if It’s Only Shown On tv. You Don’t Know What I’ve Done,Who I Am,Or What I Believe.I CAN,I HAVE,& I WILL..HELP
— Cher (@cher) April 3, 2021
And of course she went on and on.
“Whites Can No Longer Stand On The Side- lines.We Must STAND In Solidarity With Our Blk Brothers & Sisters In Every KU KLUX KLAN STATE.WE MUSTStop sign RACIST GOP LAWMAKERS FROM TOTAL DOMINATION OF [U.S. flag emoji] &DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRATS.WE”MUST STOP”GOP BIGOTS FROM TAKING [U.S. flag emoji] BACK 2 DAYS OF JIM CROW,” she wrote.
Whites Can No Longer Stand On The Side-
lines.We Must STAND In Solidarity With Our Blk
Brothers & Sisters In Every KU KLUX KLAN STATE.WE MUST🛑RACIST GOP
LAWMAKERS FROM TOTAL DOMINATION OF🇺🇸,&
DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRATS.WE”MUST STOP”GOP BIGOTS FROM TAKING🇺🇸BACK 2 DAYS OF JIM CROW pic.twitter.com/lDc6BwKpFP— Cher (@cher) April 3, 2021
And more.
“I Just got off phone With Friend Karen.Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That’s ‘NOT Appropriate’ To Say.I know Ppl Apologize When They’re In a Jam,BUT [raised hand emoji] TO GOD [hands in prayer emoji] IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.I Know My [heart emoji].”
I Just got off phone With Friend Karen.Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That’s”NOT Appropriate”To Say.I know Ppl Apologize When They’re In a Jam,BUT🤚🏼TO GOD🙏🏼,IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.I Know My❤️
— Cher (@cher) April 3, 2021
Late last month, as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin got underway, Cher — who was born Cherilyn Sarkisian — called Floyd’s death a “murder.”
“Feel So Unbelievably Sad For The Brave Ppl Who Stood Their Ground To Bear Witness,& Chronicle The Murder Of George Floyd For All The World To See,” she wrote Wednesday. “These Were Americans Who Didn’t/Couldn’t Walk Away From a Fellow Human Being Having His Last Breath…Crushed Out Of His Body.”
But some on Twitter did come to Cher’s defense. “It’s crazy how many misunderstood Cher’s tweet. She’s not talking about being a celeb or savior – but the helplessness we all feel repeatedly watching Mr. Floyd suffer & die. We want to reach through the TV screen. We want to go back in time. We want to save him. ‘If only …” one person wrote, the Mail reported.