Pink is trying to set the record straight about her controversial stance on Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” message, but fans don’t seem particularly interested in hearing her explanation.
The singer addressed the backlash Friday after she was criticized for resharing a post from StopAntisemitism that called Macklemore’s appearance at an Ed Sheeran concert “anti-Israel propaganda” and claimed concertgoers were owed apologies and refunds.
Pink said the repost did not fully reflect her own words or beliefs and explained that her concern was not Macklemore saying “Free Palestine,” but what she felt was the impact of his performance on Jewish concertgoers.
“I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” Pink wrote, adding that she believes Hamas is a terrorist organization while also believing that “Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations.”
She also said she has never spoken for Israel or any government and emphasized her belief that “protecting innocent life comes first, everywhere.”
But instead of putting the controversy to rest, Pink’s lengthy explanation appears to have sparked another round of online criticism.
Some fans took issue with her characterization of Macklemore’s performance, particularly because the rapper directly addressed Jewish people in the speech she criticized. Macklemore said that criticizing Israel and opposing what he called genocide was “in no way” criticism of Jewish people, adding that his message was about peace, dignity and equality for everyone.
That distinction became a major focus of the reaction to Pink’s statement.
“Not reading all that. Free Palestine. Glory to the resistance,” one person wrote on X alongside Pink’s statement.
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Several others similarly dismissed Pink’s lengthy explanation, with some referencing recent articles about Pink’s alleged history of tearing down other women, including Britney Spears.
“Baby, full shade, you’re not Britney Spears… Ain’t nobody reading all of that,” one person posted on X.
Others questioned the wording of Pink’s statement on Reddit, with some wondering whether it had been generated with A.I. One commenter pushed back on that speculation, however, explaining that the phrase “that’s on me” has long been common in non-apologies and quasi-apologies and isn’t evidence of A.I. use by itself.
“This kind of usage of ‘that’s on me’ has been suuuuper common in non-apologies and quasi-apologies since way before LLMs in their current form existed,” the commenter wrote. “It’s commonly used by AI because it’s commonly used by people.”
The backlash isn’t entirely surprising. Pink’s original repost had already sparked strong reactions from fans who rallied behind Macklemore and criticized her for amplifying StopAntisemitism’s characterization of his comments.
Pink, however, made clear in her latest statement that she does not intend to back away from her position.
“I don’t need anyone fired, and I don’t need a refund,” she wrote. “What I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, ‘that scared me, and it scared people I love,’ without being told our fear is just propaganda.”
She concluded by telling people who disagree with her that they don’t have to agree, while insisting that she will continue speaking “in my own words.”