Alicia Keys on Monday said a social media post seen by some as an offensive comment on the Israel-Hamas war was “completely unrelated” to the conflict.
Keys got backlash for an Instagram entry in which she asked, “What would you do if u weren’t afraid of anything??? Tell me your truth...”
“I’ve had my eyes on paragliding…👀👀” she added.
Page Six shared a screengrab of the now-deleted post:
The reference to paragliding after Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel by using the flying contraptions incited harsh comments accusing the “Girl on Fire” singer of endorsing the group’s attack on civilians. Hamas’ initial siege left more than 1,300 dead. Israel responded by launching an offensive against Hamas, killing more than 1,500 in Gaza and ordering 1.1 million Palestinian civilians to leave their homes.
Some commenters even interpreted the green color of her jacket as support for Hamas ― all of which Keys dismissed.
“The post I shared was COMPLETELY unrelated in any way to the recent devastating loss of innocent lives. My heart has been breaking…. I pray for and stand for peace,” she wrote on Instagram later in the day.
Keys’ former manager, Israeli American Guy Oseary, jumped to her defense. He wrote that Keys’ mention of paragliding was “triggering” in his community, but Keys had no idea of its significance at the moment.
“I spoke to Alicia and she was horrified to learn what the word implied and immediately took it down,” he wrote. “Alicia has always been a fighter for all human rights.”
The Hollywood Reporter speculated that Keys was simply commenting on the sport of paragliding because she and husband Swizz Beatz live near popular paragliding spots in San Diego. She also expressed previous interest in trying paragliding, CNN noted.