The Department of Homeland Security clapped back at pop singer Chappell Roan for her anti-ICE remarks at one of her recent concerts.
The 27-year-old singer initially made headlines on Friday following her sold-out show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. 
“I’m so lucky to be able to live here and to play here, and this city has always taken care of me, and it’s only my duty to take care of it back, so I just want to thank you,” the singer, whose legal name is Kayleigh Amstutz, said before adding, “And f*** ICE forever.”
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, responded to Amstutz on Sunday via a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/11/feds-clap-back-chappell-roan-saying-f-ice-forever-concert/">statement</a> issued to TMZ.
“‘Pink Pony Club’ is good,” she said, referencing the singer’s popular single. “Pedophiles are bad. That’s who we’re getting off of our streets. Get a grip.”
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Chappell Roan is just one of many celebrities taking an openly anti-ICE stance, even as threats and instances of violence against these federal agents increase. 
Singer Zach Bryan also got dragged for releasing a song criticizing ICE agents called “Bad News,” which referred to law enforcement as “cocky motherf***ers” and said ICE will “break down your door.” The country star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zach-bryan-pushes-back-after-anti-ice-song-sparks-backlash-says-hes-not-radical?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zach+Bryan+Pushes+Back+After+Anti-ICE+Song+Sparks+Backlash%2C+Says+He%E2%80%99s+Not+%E2%80%98Radical%E2%80%99">tried to walk back</a> the message after fans came down hard on him, but the damage was already done.
Actor Jeff Bridges also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show last week dressed as “The Dude” character from the 1998 comedy “The Big Lebowski” to disparage immigration enforcement.
“ICE? Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages, man,” Bridges said in the cringe-worthy skit. “This aggression will not stand. Right? So let’s just abide. Abide together. Yes, we can do this.”
One of the most talked-about instances of anti-ICE messaging came when the NFL selected Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny to perform in the 2026 Super Bowl despite his refusal to tour in the United States because of immigration policies.
The singer referred to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of b****es” in a video he posted to Instagram.
The three-time Grammy Award-winner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-absolutely-ridiculous-that-nfl-chose-bad-bunny-for-super-bowl-halftime-show">said</a> he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Attacks on ICE agents and their families have skyrocketed nearly 1,000% in just eight months — and many are pointing the finger at Democrats and the media for portraying them as villains.

Chappell Roan

‘Get A Grip’: DHS Pushes Back After Pop Singer Chappell Roan Attacks ICE In Onstage Rant

California

Celebrities

Entertainment

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

singer

U.S.

Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny is getting slammed for a video clip that appears to show him remaining seated during the singing of “God Bless America” at the New York Yankees game Tuesday night.
The <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/08/bad-bunny-remains-seated-during-god-bless-america/?adid=social-tw">short clip</a>, first shared with TMZ, reported as not having any common indicators of AI generation, includes the crowd singing “guide her,” which is part of the line “stand beside her and guide her.”
The U.S. Flag Code recommends standing, placing your hand over your heart, and facing the flag when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung, but it makes no similar recommendations for “God Bless America.” However, it is seen as a sign of respect to stand for the song during sporting events, and most individuals seated near Bad Bunny at the Yankees game are seen standing in the clip. The custom started after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when MLB started playing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch to honor first responders, victims, and the military.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> 🚨 Bad Bunny remained seated during &#8216;God Bless America&#8217; at a Yankees Game, video shows. <a href="https://t.co/jKOfQ4Qj3G">https://t.co/jKOfQ4Qj3G</a> <a href="https://t.co/rkP9NnGgdH">pic.twitter.com/rkP9NnGgdH</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1976005408708763998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The recording artist, whose legal name is Benito Ocasio, has already frustrated many Americans who believe he has disrespected the United States. Ocasio was selected to perform at Super Bowl LX in February despite previously refusing to tour in the United States due to his anti-ICE stance.
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Ocasio referred to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of b****es” in a video he posted to Instagram.
The three-time Grammy Award-winner said during a recent interview that he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Social media users also pointed out that none of Bad Bunny’s songs are in English.
He later addressed the backlash he and the NFL received following the Super Bowl halftime announcement, advising viewers to learn Spanish if they didn’t like it.
Bad Bunny did part of his monologue in Spanish during a recent appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” The singer then switched to English, saying, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
There have been calls to boycott the NFL and replace Bad Bunny as the halftime performer ever since the announcement was made. 
President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-absolutely-ridiculous-that-nfl-chose-bad-bunny-for-super-bowl-halftime-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighed in</a> on Bad Bunny being chosen as the Super Bowl halftime performer, saying, “I never heard of him. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy, and then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Bad Bunny

Super Bowl Halftime Performer Bad Bunny Refuses To Stand For ‘God Bless America’

Super Bowl Halftime Performer Bad Bunny Refuses To Stand For 'God Bless America'

Major League Baseball

New York

New York City

New York Yankees

Patriotism

Super Bowl

President Trump is not on board with the NFL’s decision to have ICE-bashing artist Bad Bunny as the Halftime Show performer at Super Bowl LX in February.
“This guy does not seem like a unifying entertainer and a lot of folks don’t even know who he is,” Newsmax’s Greg Kelly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFUyM6auMns&amp;list=PLanUqPajptu5g083z-0ggsIxzKhWXNBrW&amp;index=3">said</a> during a phone interview. Kelly asked Trump if people should “entertain blowing off the NFL.”
“I never heard of him. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy, and then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Trump added.
The NFL and Apple Music announced on September 28 that the Puerto Rican recording artist will be performing during the most watched television event of the year. Critics were quick to point out that the artist, whose real name is Benito Ocasio, had already refused to perform in the United States due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers doing their jobs.
Ocasio referred to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of b****es” in a video he posted to Instagram.
The three-time Grammy Award-winner said during a recent interview that he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Social media users also pointed out that none of Bad Bunny’s songs are in English.
He later addressed the backlash he and the NFL received following the announcement, advising viewers to learn Spanish if they didn’t like it.
“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” Bad Bunny said in Spanish during a monologue on “Saturday Night Live.”
“It’s more than a win for myself; it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
The singer then switched to English, saying, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
There have been calls to boycott the NFL and replace Bad Bunny as the halftime performer ever since the announcement was made.
The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Trump and Bad Bunny

Trump: ‘Absolutely Ridiculous’ That NFL Chose Bad Bunny For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigration

Music

Taylor Swift’s new album is predictably at the top of the charts, but some of her most devoted fans are not pleased with her departure into what’s been described as the “trad life.”
“Taylor Swift is handing the conservative agenda on a silver platter to the masses,” TikTok influencer Liittle Debbie said in a lengthy <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@beysus.christ/video/7557367237150035231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critique</a> of Swift’s newest and much-hyped album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
“You cannot convince me that the master lyricist of our generation, akin to Shakespeare, that the Easter egg master of our generation, is not aware of what her entire optics and lyrics and album and everything is giving at this very moment,” she added.
In her viral video, the influencer insists the album is not “satirical,” as some desperate Swifties have suggested as a way to explain away Swift’s apparent turn from feminist hero to suburban romantic.
For her part, Swift has described the project as a labor of love.
“We knew that we had to bring the best ideas that we ever had,” she said during her appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason. “I also know the pressure that I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care because I love it that much.”
“This is the record that I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time,” the pop star added.
To some fans, that statement was practically an admission of betrayal. Liittle Debbie accuses Swift of “aligning” her brand with the NFL, “one of the most racist and problematic industries in our country,” she adds, and of “creeping [her] way down the conservative pipeline.”
The proof, in her view, lies in Swift’s high-profile engagement to Kelce.
“She’s aligning herself with him,” the influencer argues, incredulous that the same conservative commentators who once derided Swift as a “childless cat lady” have also celebrated her engagement. To her, this represents a horrifying shift from Swift being a girlboss to a white picket fence proponent.
The TikTok creator points to some of the lyrics in “The Life of a Showgirl” as proof.
In the song “Eldest Daughter,” Swift admits, “When I said I don’t believe in marriage, that was a lie.”
The lyrics to Swift’s new track “Wi$h Li$t” only pour more gasoline on the fire of outrage:
<blockquote>“They want those bright lights and Balenci shades/And a fat ass with a baby face/They want it all./“Hope they get what they want/ I just want you/ Have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you/ We tell the world to leave us thе f*** alone, and they do, wow/ Got me dreaming about a driveway with a basketball hoop.”</blockquote>
The influencer hears those lines as evidence of something sinister, saying Swift’s supposed desire for a “racially homogenous neighborhood” and a glorification of marriage and motherhood represent abandonment of her childless cat lady fans.
To many observers, the outrage says more about the culture than about Taylor Swift.
For years, progressive fandom has treated female pop stars as symbols of what women should be. The idea that one of them might want to write about — or simply want — domestic life, love, or marriage is being perceived as an attack on that ideology.
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Longtime Swifties know the singer has been a hopeless romantic for most of her career, and that singing about fairytales and daydreams of being rescued by a knight in shining armor have featured in tracks spanning her entire catalog of music.
In “Starlight” (2012), the singer fantasized about running off, getting married, and having lots of children. “We’ll have 10 kids and teach them how to dream,” Swift sang.
Perhaps this latest album feels more urgent, not just because conservatives are finally back in charge of the government, but also because Swift is closer to that kid-filled happy ending than ever before. After a string of bad relationships, she’s now engaged to a man who is clearly smitten. Her engagement photo announcement was incredibly traditional. This album, coupled with the much-maligned “optics,” likely signals the end of Swift’s girlboss cat lady days.
Her fans, who had bought into embracing eternal singlehood, feel betrayed.
But there are some supporters arguing that Swift’s seeming to head down the trad wife road doesn’t prove she’s an anti-feminist, because true feminism was always about having the choice. And the billionaire singer flat-out said it was “<a href="https://people.com/taylor-swift-shuts-down-theories-about-last-album-marrying-travis-kelce-11824657" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shockingly offensive</a>” that anyone suggested she was quitting music during this next phase of life.
Whether she has the 10 kids and basketball hoop in suburbia and releases a bunch of songs about parenting remains to be seen. But Swifties may want to get used to the fact that their favorite singer is changing — or else find a new cat lady idol to worship.

Taylor Swift

Wife, Or A Showgirl? Taylor Swift’s New Album Is Breaking Liberal Feminists

Wife, Or A Showgirl? Taylor Swift's New Album Is Breaking Liberal Feminists

Feminism

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny addressed the backlash the NFL has been receiving after it was announced that he’d be the halftime performer at the upcoming Super Bowl, saying anyone unhappy with it should just learn Spanish.
Many people reacted negatively to the 31-year-old recording artist headlining the event, as they noted that, first and foremost, none of his songs were in English. 
Social media users also pointed out that Bad Bunny, whose legal name is Benito Ocasio, had previously refused to perform in the United States as a form of protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents enforcing federal law.
Ocasio referenced the criticism during an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend.
“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” Bad Bunny said in Spanish. “It’s more than a win for myself; it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
The singer then switched to English, saying, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bad Bunny&#8217;s monologue! <a href="https://t.co/pjS0Ejckcg">pic.twitter.com/pjS0Ejckcg</a>
— Saturday Night Live &#8211; SNL (@nbcsnl) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1974684057045786842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Reactions on social media echoed what NFL fans have been saying since it was announced that Bad Bunny would be the halftime performer.
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“That smug, arrogant clown standing on SNL telling Americans to ‘learn Spanish’ if they want to understand his halftime show? That’s the perfect snapshot of what the NFL has become under Roger Goodell. A bloated, elitist trash heap that worships identity over unity, politics over patriotism, and virtue signaling over actual entertainment,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/SchoenPhotog/status/1974828994764972492">wrote</a>. “The NFL can go to hell.”
“Imagine an English-speaking artist going on live TV in another country and telling the locals they have four months to learn English. They&#8217;d be canceled by morning,” another person <a href="https://x.com/asectomidnight/status/1974699539631116504">said</a>. “But when its reversed? It&#8217;s called REPRESENTATION.”
Previously, Ocasio referred to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of bitches” in a video he posted to Instagram.
The three-time Grammy Award winner said during an interview earlier this month that he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside (my concert). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Bad Bunny Backlash Explodes After He Tells NFL Fans To Learn Spanish

Football

Puerto Rico

Saturday Night Live

The NFL is facing major criticism following its announcement that artist Bad Bunny will perform at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
Critics are pointing out that the decision appears political as Bad Bunny, who hails from Puerto Rico, has refused to perform in the United States due to his disagreement with immigration enforcement and has openly denigrated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, calling them “motherf***ers” and “sons of bitches” in a <a href="https://x.com/MillyMendezpr/status/1935082845803839745">video</a> he posted to Instagram in June.
The three-time Grammy Award winner said during an <a href="https://i-d.co/article/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-issue-375-cover/">interview</a> earlier this month that he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“&#8230;There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside (my concert). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
The singer, whose real name is Benito Ocasio, released a <a href="https://media.nfl.com/news-and-releases/music-entertainment/global-sensation-bad-bunny-to-perform-at-apple-music-super-bowl-">statement</a> Sunday about performing at the Super Bowl. 
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history,” he said. 
Roc Nation will produce the show in conjunction with Apple Music. Company chairman Jay-Z said in a statement, “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
The move is being interpreted as a political statement because Ocasio has been outspoken in his political beliefs. He endorsed Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. 
Bad Bunny also supports the blurring of gender roles. “What defines a man, what defines being masculine, what defines being feminine?” he <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/bad-bunny-june-cover-profile">said</a> in a 2022 interview with GQ. “To me, a dress is a dress.” The Left celebrates the singer for wearing makeup and dresses as a way to protest against traditional masculinity.
On July 4, the singer released a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU5V5WZVcVE">music video</a> for his song, “NUEVAYoL,” which included a voice meant to sound like President Trump apologizing for his crackdown on illegal immigration. 
“I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. I mean the United States. I know America is the whole continent,” the faux Trump voice says. “This country is nothing without the immigrants.”
This, along with other factors, led to an avalanche of backlash on social media. 
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck noted how most of Bad Bunny’s songs aren’t even in English. “This is not a pick designed to unite football fans or let people just enjoy the show. It was a pick designed to divide fans, and no doubt Bad Bunny will find some way to push a woke message,” he shared on X. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bad Bunny was picked by <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RocNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RocNation</a> to play the Super Bowl this year.
He made the following racist comment: &#8220;I highly doubt the type of gringos I don’t fuck with listen to me. Those were all the people at the Super Bown who were pissed odd about how Latino the halftime show… <a href="https://t.co/UqU5Ksobkm">pic.twitter.com/UqU5Ksobkm</a>
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1972668839222526326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Are NFL owners in on this idiocy or are they just culturally that disconnected from reality and how [NFL commissioner Roger Goodell] uses the NFL to push left wing social issues?” asked Starbuck. “Is it that hard to pick a unifying music act who doesn’t want to peddle woke propaganda?”
“&#8230;This isn’t about music, it’s about putting a guy on stage who hates Trump and MAGA,” Starbuck concluded.
“I&#8217;m thoroughly convinced the NFL has no idea who Bad Bunny actually is,” another person <a href="https://x.com/redsteeze/status/1972498134145376610">quipped</a>.
The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

NFL Picks Anti-ICE, Anti-Trump Rapper Bad Bunny For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Jay-Z

Sports

Country singer Jason Aldean released an acoustic cover of Luke Bryan’s song “Drink a Beer” as a tribute to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 
The black and white video shared to Instagram is captioned “For Charlie.” It shows Aldean sitting on a kitchen counter, guitar in hand, while his wife Brittany stands beside him. Brittany also sings with her husband in the clip.  
“Drink a Beer” was written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton and became a number-one hit for Bryan, as fans connected with the deeply emotional message. 
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“Funny how the good ones go/Too soon, but the good Lord knows/The reasons why I guess,” the lyrics say in part. 
“Sometimes the greater plan/Is kinda hard to understand/Right now it don&#8217;t make sense. I can&#8217;t make it all make sense/So I&#8217;m gonna sit right here/On the edge of this pier/Watch the sunset disappear/And drink a beer.” 
Social media followers expressed their love for Aldean’s cover of the song, calling it “beautiful” and “touching.”
Earlier in the week, Brittany had posted on social media that she was moved by Kirk’s memorial service and was going to try to “live like Charlie,” as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-wife-brittany-vows-to-live-like-charlie-after-attending-memorial-service">reported</a>.
“This man’s legacy that he has left, the impact that he has had on so many people … like, I knew he had impacted a ton of people, but this was just, this feels different.”
She said that Kirk’s legacy was “so big” and that he “had a different purpose in life.” 
“There was just a different plan that was greater for him that God knew,” Brittany added. “They keep saying, ‘Live like Charlie.’ So I’m going to. I’m going to really try to do that.”
Kirk was assassinated on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. His memorial service, 11 days later, was attended by 100,000 people along with nearly the entire Trump administration, and was streamed by 100 million viewers worldwide.

Jason Aldean Brittany Aldean

WATCH: Jason Aldean Shares Moving Acoustic Tribute To Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk

Country Music

Jason Aldean

Singer Sarah McLachlan, the Canadian recording artist who rose to fame in the 1990s, is getting mixed reactions for refusing to perform at Disney’s “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” documentary premiere.
The 57-year-old was slated to perform on Sunday but later pulled out due to her disagreement with “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” being suspended indefinitely by ABC as of last week, per <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/09/sarah-mclachlan-opts-out-performing-abc-news-lilith-fair-1236552063/">Deadline</a>. The red carpet event for the premiere was also canceled at the last minute, as several individuals involved in the project protested Kimmel being “censored.”
McLachlan was one of the founders of Lilith Fair, a traveling music festival featuring female musicians that ran from 1997 to 1999 and was revived in 2010. She appears in the documentary, which is distributed by ABC News Studios, a subsidiary of Disney.
“It’s a gift for all of us to see [this film], but also I’ve grappled with being here tonight and around what to say about the present situation that we are all faced with, the stark contraction to the many advances we’ve made watching the insidious erosion of women’s rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech,” she said. 
“I think we’re all fearful for what comes next, and none of us know, but what I do know is that I have to keep pushing forward as an artist, as a woman to find a way through, and though I don’t begin to know what the answer is, I believe we all need to work towards a softening to let in the possibility of a better way, because I see music as a bridge to our shared humanity, to finding common ground.”
“If Lilith taught me anything, it taught me there is a great strength in coming together to lift each other up instead of tearing each other down,” McLachlan added. “So I really hope this documentary inspires everyone to continue to try and create positive change in your communities, to keep lifting each other up, keep championing the causes you believe in with kindness and empathy because ultimately we’re all in this together.”
She apologized to fans who found the cancellation “disappointing,” saying she and singer Jewel both chose to cancel their performances “in support of free speech.”
This led to mockery online, with many pointing out that it was as if McLachlan was canceling herself.
“The right to free speech does not encompass the right to be perennially unprofitable,” one person on X <a href="https://x.com/Ralphy__Boy/status/1970044227984949481">said</a>, referencing the Kimmel situation.
“This isn’t about free speech. It’s about bad jokes and bad ratings,” another <a href="https://x.com/cdjohns2009/status/1970077584600760651">agreed</a>.
“So… they’re cancelling themselves?” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/timeflies9270/status/1970071264393085103">wrote</a>.
Many celebrities and public figures have spoken out against the suspension of Kimmel’s late-night show, claiming it is a violation of free speech. The host falsely insinuated that the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk was part of the “MAGA gang.”
Kimmel had stated in his monologue, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan Refuses To Perform At Disney’s ‘Lilith Fair’ Premiere Over Kimmel Suspension

Disney

Jimmy Kimmel

Legendary singer Billy Joel said he always looked forward to being a father, in large part because his father left the family after divorcing his mother when he was just eight years old.
“It means a lot to me, and I think that&#8217;s maybe part of the father thing,” Joel told People during an <a href="https://people.com/billy-joel-says-he-was-looking-forward-to-fatherhood-all-my-life-exclusive-11777997">interview</a> published on Thursday. “I didn&#8217;t have a dad, so it was very important for me to be a dad.”
The 76-year-old “Piano Man” singer is a father of three, including daughter Alexa Ray, 39, whom he shares with his ex-wife, former model Christie Brinkley. Joel remarried for the fourth time in 2015 and had two more girls: Della, 9, and Remy, 7.
“I love all of my girls. And poetic justice, I had all girls, of course, but I’m really enjoying this a lot,” he told the outlet. “It’s something I was looking forward to all my life, and here I am.”
While Joel believed he was “too old” to have more children after marrying equestrian Alexis Roderick, he went on to have his youngest daughters at the ages of 66 and 68. 
“Having these little kids at this time in my life is such a joy,” Joel said in a documentary about his life, as the outlet noted. “I have time to be with them … I wanted to make sure that they got everything they needed from me, so I kind of knuckled down and took fatherhood very, very seriously.”
It’s a topic he’s visited before. In 2023, the “Uptown Girl” singer said he revels in being there for his kids.
“I wait around for the kids to come back from school. I love hanging out with my children,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-03-08/billy-joel-piano-man-sofi-stadium-stevie-nicks">told</a> the Los Angeles Times. &#8220;They’re so much fun and so interesting to me. I get to be a stay-at-home dad. That’s how I enjoy my life these days.&#8221;
Joel, who was recently diagnosed with a brain condition affecting his balance and vision, is currently promoting his new HBO documentary series “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” which includes details about his father leaving the family. The six-time Grammy Award winner said he tracked down his dad when he was in his early 20s and found him living in Vienna with a new family.
The singer told People he wished his dad were proud of him, but said they “never really made a strong connection … It’s disappointing.” 
Joel’s father passed away in 2011.

Billy Joel

‘Something I Was Looking Forward To All My Life’: Billy Joel Opens Up About Fatherhood

Billy Joel On Fatherhood: 'Something I Was Looking Forward To All My Life'

fatherhood

Legendary singer Billy Joel told Bill Maher that he’s not affected by criticism he receives from the “woke” Left, which in the past has included pushback on songs like “Angry Young Man” and “Goodnight Saigon.”
The 76-year-old singer discussed his thoughts during Monday’s episode of the “Club Random” podcast. Maher brought up how leftists are “snippy” to things they disagree with, which Joel said he’s “inured to.”  
The conversation began with Maher discussing how many of Joel’s songs evoked the post-WWII generation that was “just very different.” The host brought up the singer’s 1976 song, &#8220;Angry Young Man,&#8221; as one example.
The lyrics say, &#8220;I believe I&#8217;ve passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage/ I found that just surviving is a noble fight/ I once believed in causes too/I had my pointless point of view, and life went on no matter who was wrong or right.&#8221;
&#8220;I feel like that is the message of the age, even though some people will hear that and say, ‘Look at these two a**holes,’&#8221; Maher said.
“Boomers,” Joel agreed, offering an example of how he and Maher might be criticized for expressing those views.
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Maher next mentioned how upset the Left gets when people don’t say, “Trump’s the worst.”
“Ok but even if we admit that … this is also true,” he added.
The podcast host also brought up criticism about Joel’s &#8220;Goodnight Saigon&#8221; song about the Vietnam War, which included the lyrics, &#8220;And who was wrong? And who was right? It didn&#8217;t matter in the thick of the fight.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you still feel that way?&#8221; Maher asked Joel. 
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; the singer said. 
&#8220;And you don’t care what they say about you? The woke?&#8221; Maher asked.
&#8220;At this point, no,&#8221; Joel replied. “I’m inured to it … on the other hand, I&#8217;m always trying to find out the other point of view. What&#8217;s, you know, not my point of view … somebody else&#8217;s point of view. Okay, I’d like to understand why they think that way.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s so difficult in this day and age,&#8221; Maher replied. &#8220;I mean, it is what I am always trying to do on my show. Look, this is one safe space for everybody, and I will take the heat from &#8230; both sides. I mean, I do feel like the Left, who, ironically, I&#8217;m more actually aligned with, is more snippy about it, and has a worse attitude about it, and makes me viscerally not like them more sometimes.&#8221;
At another point, the two discussed how everything, including criticism, is different now. 
&#8220;People say things all the time on [social media] they would never say if they had to say it to your face,&#8221; Maher said.
&#8220;It just always surprises me how people express this hatred,&#8221; Joel agreed. &#8220;It’s like, you hate a musician because he wrote something?&#8221;
While Joel has a history of financially supporting Democratic candidates, he&#8217;s not a political activist like some of his contemporaries. He discussed his views during a 2019 <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/billy-joel-turning-70-donald-trump-new-music-831081/">interview</a> with Rolling Stone.
&#8220;I don’t think I’m going to be politically involved. I find a lot of people resent celebrities touting their candidate,&#8221; he said at the time. &#8220;That can actually turn more people off than it can bring more people in. I admire people like Springsteen, who gets up there and touts a candidate. He’s a citizen and he has a right to do that. My experience has always been that people resent it when they go to see you do a show and you get up on a soapbox and spout politics.&#8221;

Billy Joel Tells Bill Maher He Doesn’t Care About Criticism From The ‘Woke’ Left

Billy Joel Tells Bill Maher He Doesn't Care About 'Woke' Criticism

Bill Maher

Politics

Pop singer Connie Francis, best known for her iconic single “Pretty Little Baby,” has died at the age of 87.
The celeb is also known for being the first female singer to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Besides “Pretty Little Baby,” Francis is known for the single &#8220;Who&#8217;s Sorry Now?&#8221; and for singing the theme song for the film “Where the Boys Are” (1961). She also acted in the movie.
Her death was announced via Ron Roberts, president of her label Concetta Records, in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ron.roberts.102977/posts/pfbid02CXrUcxAHfrbZ5EUy2N19u4WgsxMrqoy6YRtWguTH8ybPMwgsQSLzPuB43yJ3Dh9gl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> post. 
“It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news,” the update said. “More details will follow later.”
Francis had previously shared a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ConnieFrancisOfficial/posts/pfbid0fv6cDaArP8WXBNkeDCaq4kXsyDgYsXj684t45Wfj5xrou3ebEuXuSbpyS9jTDYfGl">health update</a> with her fans in March, saying she was in a wheelchair &#8220;to avoid undue pressure on a troublesome, painful hip.”
Her last social media update was shared on July 4 when she said, &#8220;Today I am feeling much better after a good night.&#8221;
The singer was born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, and later changed her name at the suggestion of TV host Arthur Godfrey, per <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/17/1238530020/connie-francis-dead">NPR</a>. Francis became massively popular at a young age, selling more than 40 million records by the age of 25.
Besides music, she had a short-lived acting career and appeared in several romantic comedies. The outlet also noted several major tragedies that happened to her over the years.
For example, Francis’ good friend was strangled to death in 1967, and her brother was murdered in 1981.
Francis had cosmetic surgery on her nose in 1967, which left her unable to sing. It would take three more surgeries over the years to correct the damage.
&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t sing in air conditioned rooms,&#8221; she told NPR in 1982. &#8220;Which presented great problems in Las Vegas. They had to shut the air conditioning off, and the people would wilt. And I would, and the band would.&#8221;
Then in 1974, the singer was raped at knifepoint at a Howard Johnson motel after singing at a music festival. She wound up receiving $2.5 million, the largest settlement for a rape case in history to that point.
&#8220;There was a doctor in New York who said that he could correct this,&#8221; she told NPR. &#8220;So I went for surgery, and two weeks before I went in for that surgery, I was recording an Italian album, and two weeks after the surgery, I went back to finish the overdub of the album, and that was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, because my voice was gone.”
She continued, “So, it wasn&#8217;t the rape that affected my voice. It was definitely the surgery. And I had a range of about seven notes. There was not one song I could sing from beginning to end. Oh, incidentally, two months after I&#8217;d lost my voice, my husband got up and left, and he just left. And that was the end of that.&#8221;
Francis has been out of the industry for years after retiring to Florida, but has become a household name among the youth after the song “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok recently.
The singer addressed the newfound popularity of the song. &#8220;My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception given to my 1961 recording &#8216;Pretty Little Baby,'&#8221; she <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ConnieFrancisOfficial/posts/1259428432215110">wrote</a> on Facebook in May.
&#8220;The first I learned of it was when Ron called to advise me that I had &#8216;a viral hit.&#8217; Clearly out of touch with present-day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: &#8216;What’s that?'&#8221;
“Thank you everyone!” she added.

Connie Francis

‘Pretty Little Baby’ Singer Connie Francis Dead At 87

Death

Latin R&amp;B singer Nezza made waves before a Los Angeles Dodgers game on Saturday when she sang “The Star Spangled Banner” in Spanish despite being told not to.
The 30-year-old recording artist, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@babynezza/video/7515995487342824734?lang=en">mocked</a> the controversy in a post on her TikTok account. “para mi gente [for my people]; I stand with you,” she wrote in the video caption, which has almost 8 million views.
“Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish ‘Star Spangled Banner that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945,” she gloated in a text overlay.
The video clip attached shows Nezza smiling and wearing a Dominican Republic jersey. A team representative can be heard telling her, “We are gonna do the song in English today. I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.” Nezza immediately stops smiling and says, “Ohhhh.” 
The video then cuts to a shot of her singing the anthem in Spanish with a text overlay that says, “so I did it anyway.”
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Singer Nezza was told by the Dodgers to sing the National Anthem in English but she sang it in spanish to protest ICE.
She then gets very emotional and cries over ICE deporting criminals who are in our country illegally. <a href="https://t.co/1sTDbXx3aT">pic.twitter.com/1sTDbXx3aT</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1934370251510309052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nezza followed up with <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@babynezza/video/7516015340464262431?lang=en">another TikTok</a> on Saturday night, saying through tears, “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.&#8221; 
“Bear with me ’cause I’m still very shaken up and emotional,” the singer said in the follow-up before trying to justify her decision. “You can Google it, (but) I’ll just read it to you really quick: ‘It was officially commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department as a part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s good neighbor policy to foster a better relationship with Latin America.”
“Because of this, I didn’t think I would be met with any sort of, like, no, especially because we’re in L.A., and with everything happening. And I’ve sung the national anthem many times in my life, but … today, out of all days, I could not, I’m sorry,” Nezza added.
“I just could not believe when she walked in and told me no. I just felt like I needed to do it. For anyone who’s been following me for a while, you know everything I do is out of love,” she continued. “And I am proud of myself for doing that today. Because my parents are immigrants, and they’ve been citizens my whole life at this point. They got documented really early, but I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me, just even at this age, let alone [as] a little kid. What are we doing?”
On Sunday, a Dodgers team official told <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-06-15/nezza-sang-the-national-anthem-in-spanish-at-dodger-stadium-despite-teams-objection">The Los Angeles Times</a> that “there were no consequences from the club regarding the performance and that Nezza would be welcome back at the stadium in the future.”
Videos of Nezza’s Spanish rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” began circulating on social media, where it received mixed but mostly negative reactions. 
“Can you imagine what would happen if you did that in another country? The entitlement and disrespect is off the charts,” one reaction on X <a href="https://x.com/SKDoubleDub33/status/1934370881704227241">said</a>. 
“Kinda loses its virtue when you start posting about it for likes and attention without letting the recognition and praise happen organically. Shows you did it for the wrong reasons,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/getwreckednerds/status/1934410660278042633">chimed in</a>.

Nezza

OFF PITCH: National Anthem Sung In Spanish At Dodgers Game In Protest Of ICE

Singer Belts National Anthem In Spanish At Dodgers Game Despite Being Warned Not To

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