Getty
Erykah Badu defended Adolf Hitler, Bill Cosby and Donald Trump and Twitter is in complete disbelief.
During a candid interview with Vulture, the R&B singer told the publication that she "saw something good in Hitler," adding that he was a "wonderful painter."
YouTube
Haitians Diss Donald Trump for 'Sh-thole' Remark in Sneak Peek of 'Conan Without Borders'
View StoryThe jawing statement caught the Jewish reporter completely by surprise. When the singer was asked to clarify what exactly she meant by her bold statement, she said, "OK, he was a terrible painter. Poor thing. He had a terrible childhood. That means that when I'm looking at my daughter, Mars, I could imagine her being in someone else's home and being treated so poorly, and what that could spawn. I see things like that. I guess it's just the Pisces in me."
The reporter was able to accept that Badu might be on a "higher moral plane" than he is, but couldn't wrap his head around the idea of victimizing a leader who killed millions of innocent people.
"Why can't I say what I'm saying?" Badu asked. "Because he did such terrible things? You asked me a question. I could have chosen not to answer. I don't walk around thinking about Hitler or Louis Farrakhan, but I understand what you're saying. 'Why would you want to risk fueling hateful thinking?' I have a platform, and I would never want to hurt people. I would never do that. I would never even imagine doing that. I would never even want a group of white men who believe that the Confederate flag is worth saving to feel bad. That's not how I operate."
ABC/NBC/CBS
Late-Night LOLs at Trump Taking Credit for the Women's March and Blaming Democrats for Shutdown
View StoryOne fan tweeted, "Damn this Erykah Badu interview took a turn for the worst. I love my auntie, but she be sounding like a crackpot at times."
But Hitler wasn't the only unpopular, powerful figure that Badu felt the need to sympathize with. The performer also wanted to give Cosby, who allegedly drugged and raped dozens of women, a break because "he's sick."
"I love Bill Cosby, and I love what he's done for the world," Badu said. "But if he's sick why would I by angry with him? The people who got hurt, I feel so bad for them. I want them to feel better, too. But sick people do evil things; hurt people hurt people. I know I could be crucified for saying that, because I'm supposed to be on the purple team or the green team. I'm not trying to rebel against what everybody's saying, but maybe I want to measure it."
Getty
Man Arrested for Threatening Mass Shooting at CNN Headquarters 'Fake News'
View StoryBut when it comes to President Trump, Badu doesn't necessarily have sympathy for him, but she does think he's not as bad as he portrays himself to be.
"The thing about Trump is that he's a bad guy to the point where it looks manufactured," Badu said. "Are we playing games here? He can't really be that bad. I'm not a conspiracy theorist at all -- I don't give a sh-t about that stuff -- but it looks like Trump's just trying to spark division. It looks like a game. Why are we being toyed with?"
After reading the interview, fans immediately hopped on Twitter to react.
Black Twitter is turning on Erykah Badu (again) I see.
@TheLarryWilson
Erykah Badu: I'm a humanist. I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler.
@KirkWrites79
Journalist: Come again?
Erykah Badu: Yeah, I did. Hitler was a wonderful painter.
This interview is something else. 😒 https://t.co/UfPrlS5Qsu
this is...
@XavierDLeau
kinda nuts... i don't...know what to do or say about erykah anymore...https://t.co/j4J4PDQzYz
Erykah Badu, when you say you can see good in Hitler, just remember something... in your mind, that might seem like a real smart and nuanced point. To Holocaust survivors and their ancestors, it's a kick in the teeth and an unnecessarily offensive thing to say.
@mrjoshz
Erykah Badu "I see the good in everybody. Even the most disturbed"
@MizzCreme
Twitter : pic.twitter.com/yiuVcbb1WM
Damn this Erykah Badu interview took a turn for the worst. I love my auntie, but she be sounding like a crackpot at times
@ProducerJSnow
Erykah Badu said she sees the "good in Hitler" her excuse "it's the Pisces in me". we need to wipe out these astrology adherents my guy
@herboldsoul
i'd like to use this erykahbadubusiness as an opportunity to discuss how pisceansare actually really bad people
@iLove_CC
ErykahBadu been trash since my brother called her out on that bullshit she said in 2015. Then she blocked him.
@ItsBeeBreezy
No human with true inherent good is willing to commandeer the slaughter of millions of people. Lolstop dick riding because ErykahBadu said it.
@CaIiKapowski
ErykahBadu slander won't ever be tolerated
@TASHVWN
This is why idon't fuck with Erykahbaducause she always saying some dumb shit
@wicked_apples
Me: ushering ErykahBadu out of the room pic.twitter.com/WA5RwivO6g
@DeeNike
erykahbaduis literally always saying something ridiculous and icant figure out why ppldidntstop paying attention to her completely when she said little girls need to wear longer skirts
@afirahs
Erykah Badu shpuld have been cancelled the moment she bleached her skin then lied about it SMH
@ilCapoSoprano
ErykahBadu is an anti Semitic. She is dead to me
@Gretchengordo15
When ErykahBadu said even Hilterhad some good in him, was she talking about how neat his mustache was? Because I don't get it? pic.twitter.com/Fq2Ydygf8S
@TanyaMiecy
ErykahBadu has finally fallen into the pitfall of believing her own hype. People hear one anecdote about Hitler's three weeks as a sketch artist and think they have the range to get mystical about it.
@AnotherNerd4
I'm trying to figure out what to do with this. I love this woman's music so much, but no, you don't get to have compassion for Hitler and say it's because you're a Pisces. Not in the world we live in right now. https://t.co/IInqvZFAdN via @vulture
@EcoSexuality
That ErykahBadu interview is dumb until she starts talking about zodiac signs & it gets even dumber.
@charles270
Getty
