The singer Adele has found herself in hot water this week, as she is being hit with accusations of cultural appropriation after she posted a photo of herself to pay tribute to Notting Hill Carnival, which was all but canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fox News reported that this carnival, which has taken place since 1966, aims to celebrate Caribbean culture. This year, the carnival took place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London 🇬🇧🇯🇲,” Adele wrote in the caption of the image.
The photo showed Adele wearing a bikini top decorated with the Jamaican flag. The singer also had her hair in Bantu knots, a traditional African hairstyle.
Backlash against Adele was swift, with social media users accusing her of appropriating African culture.
“Dear white people, please just be yourselves and stop it for good with cultural appropriation,” someone commented, according to PEOPLE magazine. “Adele the bantu knots were unnecessary. The Jamaican flag bikini top was unnecessary… Please just stop it.”
Someone else wrote that “black women are discriminated against for wearing cultural hairstyles like bantu knots and locs but white people are not, that’s not fair and that’s why people are pissed off.”
However, Adele did have some fans rush to her defense.
“I’m from the Caribbean and this is why we have festivals/carnival,” one fan commented. “For others to appreciate and celebrate our culture. Nothing inappropriate here.”
“WE LOVE SEEING OUR FLAG EVERYWHERE!!!!” another added. “This made me smile. It shows the impact my little island has on the whole world. How influential we truly are.”
Adele has yet to comment on the backlash that she has been receiving.
Adele shocked fans earlier this year when she debuted her 100-pound weight loss. The U.K. Express reported that Adele has changed her life to live a healthier lifestyle over the past year, with sources close to the singer saying that the changes she has made have left her feeling more confident on both the inside and the out.
“Adele feels sexier than ever and she’s so happy to be going into the new year looking and feeling great,” one source close to Adele said.
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