Alicia Keys Deletes Paragliding Post After Sparking Backlash

Alicia Keys has clarified a post on Instagram after she receieved backlash from some users who misunderstood it as support for Hamas' attack on Israel. 

She shared a photo of herself wearing a green and brown moto jacket, making reference to paragliding in the caption.

"What would you do if you weren't afraid of anything? Tell me your truth. I’ve had my eyes on paragliding…. 👀👀.” 

As paragliders were used as part of Hamas' infiltration, some users interpreted this as being antisemitic and insensitive. They even alleged she wore green in reference to the Hamas flag.

She proceeded to delete the photo later that day, and shared a statement regarding the post.

"The post I shared earlier was COMPLETELY unrelated in any way to the recent devastating loss of innocent lives. My heart has been breaking….I pray for and stand for peace.”

Soon after, her former manager, who is Israeli-American, posted a photo of the two hugging, expressing his support for her.

“There’s talk of an antisemitic post that my dear friend Alicia Keys had up on her instagram. I can confirm to anyone in my ✡️ community that needs to hear it: it’s NOT true."

“There was a specific word in her post that our community at this very painful time find very triggering, but it was absolutely not connected in any way. I spoke to Alicia and she was horrified to learn what the word implied and immediately took it down.”

"Alicia has always been a fighter for all human rights. I’ve had a front row seat for over a decade of seeing her positive influence in the world. Her humanitarian work reflects her empathy and her heart.”

Swizz Beatz, who she has been married to since 2010, also shared support for his wife. 

He reposted her Story and chimed in on the comments with “thank you guy we love you !” 

“We have a school outside of our home and that’s what she was talking about getting rid of her [fear] of heights . I wish peace and love 🤍.” 

The two live in a mountainside property overlooking the Pacific Ocean in California, where paragliding is one of the popular sightseeing pastimes. 

There are also several paragliding schools around.

Alicia was one of the recent recipients of the Black American Music Association’s first-ever ICE Medal of Honor awards, which recognises individuals in music who’ve made an impact on Black culture. 

She was announced in September as the first to receive the ICE Medal of Honor.