Chrisette Michele Tells How She’s Coping After Trump’s Diss & Fans’ Inauguration Backlash

Posted On : October 21, 2017

Singer-turned-former R&B Diva, Chrisette Michele, has a beautiful voice and up until January 2017, many fans appreciated hearing it. Then came her shocking performance at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. That’s when many of those same fans turned on her faster than a neo-Nazi Trump supporter could say ‘Make America hate great again.’ Chrisette went from R&B’s princess to Black America’s ‘sell out’ seemingly overnight. Although she attempted to explain that her Trump inauguration performing was meant to bring people together, many felt like she sold out for a paycheck.

Chrisette Says Many Have It Wrong About Her

At that time, she also disclosed how Trump dissed her at the inauguration…we’ll get to that in second. But first, Chrisette wants y’all to know how she has fought through her Trump backlash thus far. In a new interview with Billboard, she promoted her new single, “Strong Black Woman,” and addressed the backlash she’s received. Although millions have dragged her online over her decision, Chrisette says they got it wrong and claims that most of her fans aren’t angry with her:

Chrisette: “I’ve never been as strong as I am now […] I remember being petrified to walk onstage for my very first concert after the inauguration, thinking everybody hates me. But I walked out to uproarious applause. I’d do other shows and I’m like confused as to who exactly is upset with me. […] But standing up before those audiences then and believing I had something to share is what got me through and what this record is about.”

“There’s been so many false premises: a lot of people saw the headlines but they didn’t see the actual experience. I also thought I had enough of a track record, that people would know who I was having sung twice for president Barack Obama at the White House, at Democratic conventions and black caucuses. I was incorrect. I also think a lot of people who spoke out [against my performing] like Questlove, somebody with whom I’ve collaborated, were just afraid for me. And I think their fear was warranted. But I also think that part of this was a catalyst for me to learn about other people’s thoughts and experiences. A lot of good conversations happened from this. I don’t know that I ever would have been on CNN, MSNBC or the Breakfast Club [on New York’s Power 105) talking to other people who are devastated about the state of our country. Our pride is being tried right now.” -via Billboard

Some Family Members Disowned Her Over Trump

Chrisette and her husband

Soon after the Trump inauguration, in January 2017, Chrisette also revealed to Billboard, that some of her family dropped her like a bad habit:

“I’ll say that the backlash, I did personally feel, came from members of my extended family who decided that they didn’t want to speak to me anymore or support my family in supporting me.”

Trump Dissed Her At Inauguration?


To top that off, Chrisette said Trump didn’t even have the courtesy to meet her on the day she performed. She actually was offended by that:

“Originally I was supposed to perform directly after his first speech, and I had done that with Barack Obama before, so I was used to that kind of experience,” she said. “And the woman who organized the event came and told me, ‘Now you’re going to go first and he’s going to go after you.’ I looked her in the eye and said, ‘My family has disowned me. If you decide to Google me, you’ll see that America is writing about me in their newspapers. I’m the black poster child for discord right now, and he’s not going to shake my hand?’ So no, I didn’t get to meet him.”

Thoughts ILOSM fam?’

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