Australian singer Sia has publicly apologized after she mistook Nicki Minaj for Cardi B in a bizarre Twitter rant on June 12. The 44-year-old “Chandelier” hitmaker initially responded to a fan’s question about whether she would ever collab with Nicki, writing, “I love @iamcardib and although this isn’t a collaboration, I would love to COLLAB with her any day!” After confusing the pair, many were quick to hit back at the singer for the mix up, to which she replied with a strange rant about the pair’s longtime feud.
“I don’t give a s**t about feuds, George Floyd was f**king murdered. Breonna Taylor. Murdered. Come on let’s rise in unity. You think @iamcardib and Nicki are so petty that they would want you focusing on a silly feud instead of REAL NEWS,” she wrote in a since-deleted Tweet. The nine-time Grammy nominee went on to slam the idea that the rapper’s would be thinking “about a feud” amid “the problem of systemic racism”, referencing the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the nation.
I totally misunderstood a tweet earlier that has resulted in me making a buffoon out of myself.
Sorry @NICKIMINAJ and @iamcardib if you hear about it.
Can I just like you both?— sia (@Sia) June 13, 2020
Sia then backflipped, after realizing her mixup, and apologized to the duo. “Sorry @NICKIMINAJ and @iamcardib if you hear about it. Can I just like you both?” she asked. Many Sia fans were quick to jump to her defense, with one follower writing, “We know your heart was in the right place, we’re all human and make mistakes.” However, others weren’t quite so supportive, accusing her of attempting to reignite ongoing tensions.
“Don’t try to police black women ever again; I don’t care if they were fighting it tooth and nail. It will never be your place as a white person,” one user wrote in response to Sia’s slew of initial tweets, while another added, “Is she really telling 2 Black women that they should care more about racism??”
Peaceful rallies following the police-custody death of the George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 have become a major civil uprising, and celebs are now speaking out about the Black Lives Matter movement. Many have also joined in the ongoing marches not only across the country, but around the world. On June 3, Star Wars actor John Boyega held back tears as he gave an emotional speech in London’s Hyde Park, while closer to home, in Los Angeles, Keke Palmer urged National Guardsmen to march with protesters. Even more public figures have encouraged citizens to use their voice and vote in primaries throughout the country and in November, like former President Barack Obama.