Yahoo Lifestyle Jewel Apologizes for Controversial Inauguration Ball Performance
Jewel, who performed earlier in the week at an inauguration day event honoring Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is now addressing her fans to explain her reasoning for doing so.
In a vulnerable video message posted to Instagram on Friday, Jan. 24, the "Again and Again" singer apologized to fans who felt let down by her choice to perform at the "Make America Healthy Again" ball in Washington, D.C., on Monday, where she sang a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
The event was in honor of Kennedy, 71, a known vaccine skeptic who is President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
In her post on Friday, Jewel described herself as a "mental health advocate," insisting that she agreed to perform at the event in the hopes of inspiring people "from all walks of life" to come together in the fight against the mental health crisis.
"If there’s anything that I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that mental health affects everybody’s lives across party lines,” Jewel, 50, said in the clip. “I reached out to the last administration, spoke with the surgeon general about the mental health crisis that’s facing our nation. I don’t know if you guys know the stats, but it is bleak.”
She went on to explain that she doesn't believe in waiting until she agrees with all of the people in office before taking a stand.
“If I wait to try until I agree 100% with the people that might be willing to help me, I’d never get off the bench," she said. "I don’t think that’s how activism works, waiting until everything’s perfect enough to participate,”
"We have to act now," she further implored. "We cannot wait another four years."
Jewel also expressed that she believes there are people in the new administration "that are willing to help on this issue," even if they "do not agree on all the politics."
"I want to be a ray of light in this world. I try hard to be a ray of light in your lives," she stated. "I know that in times of darkness we must grow light, and so I will wake up again tomorrow and try again. And I will count on each of you to do the same."
