'Leave her alone': Celebs defend Adele after bikini photo backlash

Celebrities have come out in defence of Adele after the singer sparked a cultural appropriation row with a bikini photo on Monday.

Taking to Instagram, Adele shared a snap of herself dressed up in a bikini sporting the Jamaican flag for the Notting Hill Carnival. But her hairstyle sparked widespread backlash.

There were plenty of social media users who defended Adele’s right to wear her hair how she liked, and now some of the star’s friends, including supermodel Naomi Campbell have also addressed her look.

Naomi Campbell’s mother was born in Jamaica and she commented on the image with two love heart emojis and two pictures of the Jamaican flag, clearly supporting Adele’s outfit choice.

Jamaican musician Popcaan also appeared to be a fan, sharing a fist emoji and a love heart, while actress Tessa Thompson, who stars in sci-fi TV series Westworld, commented with a flame emoji.

Singer Alexandra Burke, who is also of Jamaican and Caribbean decent, said Adele “looks hot”

“She's obviously been working on her body, that for me is a big deal. She’s looking good,” Alexandra said on BBC Radio.

“As a Jamaican girl myself, my girl has grown up in black culture. People forget she’s from Tottenham. She probably eats jerk chicken all the time like all of us.

“All I’m saying is the girl looked good, leave her. Allow her man. If Popcaan is going to endorse it and say yes my girl you’re wearing the flag and you’re wearing it well. Let her live her best life, leave her alone. We love Adele.”

And plenty of other people on social media supported that argument.

“Remember Adele grew up in Tottenham, surrounded by Jamaican culture,” one person said on Twitter. “For many kids, regardless of their family origins, it was ingrained in their language, fashion, food not just music. With Adele we know it's coming from a good place, with love and respect.”

Even the local Member of Parliament David Lammy called the criticism “Poppycock”.

“This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival and the tradition of ‘dress up’ or ‘masquerade’. Adele was born and raised in Tottenham she gets it more than most. Thank you Adele. Forget the Haters.”

The star was kitted out in a Jamaican flag bikini, Bantu bun hairstyle and yellow feather headdress all worn with a pair of standard grey tights.

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual London festival that celebrates Caribbean and Black British life and culture.

This year marks the first in its 54-year history that the festival will not take place on the street, rather moving online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Adele has not publicly commented on the response to the photo.

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