Demi Lovato has deactivated her Twitter account after 21 Savage fans tore into her for seemingly making light of his arrest.
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21 Savage, real name Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on Sunday morning. Immigration officials claim the rapper is actually a British national living illegally in the United States.
The officials allege 21 Savage overstayed his visa after he moved to the US in 2005.
On social media, the news drew both concern, shock, and – with the internet being the internet – humour. Before long, the rapper’s arrest had become a meme.
“So far 21 savage memes have been my favorite part of the Super Bowl,” Lovato tweeted on Sunday night.
Her words instantly sparked backlash with rapper Wale writing: “Why is somebody freedom funny… I don’t get the joke.”
“A lot of people were sending you light, prayers etc. When people were making jokes about u at a rough time. A lot of people. Bless up,” he continued appearing to reference Lovato’s past drug use.
A lot of people were sending you love light , prayers etc . When people were making jokes about u at a rough time. A lot of people .Bless up https://t.co/9sxe1rJuA2
— Wale (@Wale) February 4, 2019
Lovato attempted to clarify her initial tweet by sharing an image of the meme. However, she was only criticised more and mocked for her drug use and reported overdose.
“Fuck Twitter. This is why I don’t tweet anymore,” she wrote afterwards. “If you’re gonna come at me for making a joke, try coming at me with something original not involving drugs.”
Demi Lovato gets criticized for joking about the 21 Savage memes that were made after the rapper was detained. pic.twitter.com/ga9lcrBNQL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 4, 2019
Shortly after deactivating her Twitter account, Lovato explained on Instagram that she “wasn’t laughing at anyone getting deported.”
“I know that’s not a joke.. not have I EVER laughed at that. The meme I posted/was talking about was of him being writing with a feather pen. Sorry if I offended anyone. But it’s no excuse to laugh at someone’s addiction let alone their OD.”
21 Savage’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, said in a statement:“We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding.”
