Sheryl Crow sparks controversy and is trolled: “My parents always said... you are who you hang out with”
The singer-songwriter divided her fans with a politically-charged message on social media.
Award winning-singer Sheryl Crow is facing backlash on social media for a controversial post she made, in which she takes a dig at Elon Musk, sells her car and gives the proceeds to a federal-funded radio station.
The 63-year-old singer posted an 11-second video clip on Instagram in which she is stood casually dressed on an autumnal, tree-lined street, waving off her old Tesla as it is towed away on top of a truck.
It was the accompanying text which some fans were not happy about.
What did Sheryl Crow write about Elon Musk?
“My parents always said… you are who you hang out with. There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla,” she wrote, before adding, “Money donated to NPR, which is under threat by President Musk, in hopes that the truth will continue to find its way to those willing to know the truth”.
Crow loaded message comes in the wake of threats by Donald Trump to withhold funding from nonprofit media outlet, National Public Radio (NPR), who he has accused of “political bias”.
“NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM! EDITOR SAID THEY HAVE NO REPUBLICANS, AND IS ONLY USED TO ‘DAMAGE TRUMP. THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!” Trump posted during his presidential campaign last April.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk meanwhile, called for NPR to be defunded in a post on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month. “It should survive on its own,” he tweeted.
Defund NPR. It should survive on its own.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025
pic.twitter.com/dtm5qbbxix
How is NPR funded and how much does it get?
NPR relies on a combination of funding sources to support its day-to-day running and programming. It along with and other public broadcasting entities received $445 million in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), according to the CPB’s 2020 annual report. NPR also receives indirect funding from the federal government - $1.5 million from The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), $1.2 million from The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and $500,000 from The Department of Education as well as additional income from membership subscriptions, sponsorship deals and grants.
Crow’s dig at Musk and her decision to donate money to NPR have divided her fans on social media, some applauding it, others appalled by it.
One comment read: “Good. So long as I don’t have to pay for that propaganda station, I’m fine. Let all the celebrities fund it”. Another user noted, “Should have given it to a homeless person in FL or CA who lost everything”.
Some accused her of virtue-signalling while one X user piped up: Keep going. Sell your house too!“
Sheryl Crow responds to Tesla donation backlash
In another video, Crow defended her actions: “Hey guys, wow, I didn’t know that my post would blow up the way that it did. Thank you for people that were loving; for you guys who were on the hate side of things - yeah, there were some leaves on the tree because yes, I did donate my Tesla right after the election but this is the week I got confirmation back that the money went to NPR, which is something that I care about. Not everybody can donate a car to something they care about, for me it was important because I understood that NPR would be going away, and that is where I get my news as well as PBS - places that I feel that I can count on that are not based on algorithms.
“Also addressing haters. Why did I not give it to hurricane victims? I give a shit ton of money to things I care about, including: hurricane victims, the environment, safe schools, Sandy Hook, cancer research... so, let’s put that aside.
“Not everybody’s gonna to be able to donate a Tesla, but if you are looking for something to do, make sure that your voice is heard. I’m gonna post a bunch of resources on here so go on, call your representative, let him know how you feel. I feel like people are getting desensitized or completely freaked out and feel like they’re helpless. You don’t have to feel that way. It’s Part II of voting, okay?”
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