Erykah Badu clears up the confusion around her Tesla as the company braces for a disappointing quarter amid widespread protests.
Erykah Badu is setting the record straight after a post on X of hers about vandalizing her Tesla caused headlines.
When the 54-year-old singer posted last week that she vandalized her Tesla amid growing protests around the world against Elon Musk, she wasn’t being serious, as it turns out.
“Just vandalized my Tesla,” she wrote. “Trying to stay on trend.”
However, days later, she followed up in another post on X to clear the air.
“Stop playin’,” she wrote. “This was humor. This stupid. And y’all dumb. If I was even slow enough to participate in the misplaced Tesla debate and smash somethin Id pay a minion to do it.”
Some instantly believed her initial post because it arrived as anger and frustration with Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reached a fever pitch. Since DOGE launched, thousands of federal workers have been laid off across government departments, and demonstrations ranging from major protests at Tesla facilities and showrooms to instances of Tesla products being vandalized or destroyed have kicked off as a result.
On Saturday, “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations occurred across the country and overseas. Organizers, who dubbed it a “global day of action,” told NPR there were protests in over 253 cities worldwide. The protests aren’t just about his handling of DOGE. Many are also upset with his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and the gesture he made on Inauguration Day, perceived by many to be reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
There are signs that the protests have had an impact—Tesla sales have slowed, and investors are getting nervous. Tesla is expected to release data for its first-quarter on April 2, and its expected to show a decline in demand compared to the same period last year.
In the meantime, Badu garnered headlines, again, after she accepted her Billboard Women in Music icon award on Saturday dressed in a suit she has dubbed the “booty suit.” The ensemble—a bodysuit of an exaggerated female form—has elicited mixed reactions. Some praised the look for its lifesized, fashionable resemblance to fertility statues and goddesses. Others felt like her suit was mocking BBLs, or just found it altogether bad.
Then, of course, there are the fans who are just thrilled she’s working on her first album in 15 years.
