Addison Rae finally addresses her controversial Donald Trump meetup
Instagram: addisonraee / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia CommonsTikTok star Addison Rae has finally spilled the beans regarding her highly controversial greeting to Donald Trump at a UFC event in July.
Addison Rae is one of TikTok’s biggest powerhouses. The influencer has founded her own makeup line, kickstarted a musical career, and is even starring in the recently released Netflix film, “He’s All That.”
In spite of her major success, Rae can’t seem to shake a legion of critics who follow her every move. The star has spoken out against being body-shamed by commenters in the past, and was met with heavy backlash after using dances created by Black influencers on Jimmy Fallon in March.
This negative opinion of Rae only intensified after the star was caught introducing herself to former United States president Donald Trump at UFC 264. The entire moment was caught during a vlog by the NELK Boys, showing Rae claiming she “had to” introduce herself to Trump and shaking his hand.
Youtube, NELKRae’s greeting to Trump sparks backlash
This sparked a slew of speculation claiming that Rae was a Trump supporter, with critics bringing up old liked tweets and photos from her account. When approached by paparazzi about the incident, Rae notably turned away and made no comment.
Over a month later, Rae has finally opened up about her meeting with Trump, as told in an interview with the Los Angeles Times — although she initially claimed she didn’t “feel comfortable talking about it.”
Rae addresses criticism over meeting Trump
According to the article, Rae said she felt it was “pointless” trying to convince netizens about her political beliefs, stating, “there’s nothing I can do to change that opinion.”
“I mean, I don’t support Trump,” she clarified. “And if someone does, that’s their opinion, and I respect everyone’s opinion. To each their own. But it’s very rare on occasion that you ever get to meet a former president, and I think most people could agree with me on that.”
“It’s very uncommon. And I consider myself a friendly person, and so introducing myself does not mean I stand behind anything that any respective person condones.”
YouTube: Jimmy KimmelPublic opinion regarding Rae’s statement on the subject seems to be highly divided, with comments leaning more toward the inflammatory than the complimentary.
It’s unclear if Rae will approach the topic again, but she has been met with support from other stars in the past, namely UFC President Dana White and YouTuber Tana Mongeau, who dubbed the entire ordeal “a very iconic, viral moment.”