Nicole Scherzinger is facing heavy flak from fans after commenting on a post by Russell Brand. It seemed to be less the association with Brand—who’s been accused of grooming, sexual assault, and rape, allegations he denies—and more the association with Donald Trump that bothered people. On Instagram on Wednesday, Brand shared a post of him waving a MAGA-coded read hat emblazoned “Make Jesus First Again,” with the caption “God Bless America.” Brand is vocal about his Christianity, as well as his support for Trump; after Scherzinger commented “where do I get this hat!!!?” on Brand’s photo, with the prayer hands and red heart emoji, some fans think she loves Trump, too. Scherzinger—who’s in the midst of a widely praised starring role on Broadway, in Sunset Blvd.—deleted the comment, but not before social media took notice. In one of the milder reactions, Time Out New York’s theater editor and critic, Adam Feldman, tweeted, “Well the Best Actress Tony race just got a little less competitive.”
