Rihanna slams critics after joking about wanting to vote illegally

Rihanna isn’t able to vote in the 2024 election, but she wants fans to head to the polls on her behalf.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the “Umbrella” singer, who was born in Barbados, joked that she can’t vote because she is not a U.S. citizen.
“POV: me trying to sneak into the polls with my son’s passport #votecauseicant,” she captioned a video of herself looking out the window of a car.
Some people didn’t appreciate the Grammy winner’s joke about voting illegally, but she wasn’t having any of the criticism, clapping back at numerous comments.
One Instagram user defended “wanting to secure the border” and told Rihanna to “stick to music,” arguing that “celebrities shouldn’t be posting their political opinions.”
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But the singer shot back with a reference to former President Donald Trump’s supporters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win.
“Where were you in Jan 6 sis?” Rihanna asked.
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Another user commented that “illegal voting is a crime” and that the singer should be “arrested for trying,” to which she shot back, “Shut up Karen.”
When still another comment asked Rihanna why she should “be able to” vote “if you are not a legal citizen,” she blasted the user as “illiterate.”
And when a user said they voted for “closed borders, deportations and staying out of foreign conflicts,” Rihanna slammed them and “the America you dream of.”
Other users chimed in to celebrate Rihanna’s savage disses. “These replies? Oh she’s so back,” one comment read.
Although Rihanna isn’t able to vote herself, she has encouraged her fans to get involved in politics. In 2018, the Fenty Beauty founder urged followers to vote in the midterm elections, writing on Instagram that Election Day is “the most important day for the rest of your lives,” and if “you’re tired of complaining about the state of the country and government, get up and do something about it!!!”
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When a user at the time asked Rihanna if she is a U.S. citizen, she replied, “Nah I’m an immigrant tryna get yo country together.”
In 2021, Rihanna was named a national hero of her home country of Barbados. “This is a day that I will never, ever forget,” she said in a ceremony, adding, “Nothing compares to being recognized in the soil that you grew in.”