Demi Lovato has deactivated her Twitter account after several followers were upset she shared a meme about rapper 21 Savage being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday, with some calling her a “junkie” and a “crackhead.”
The rapper was arrested earlier in the day by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, claiming the Grammy-nominated rapper, long associated with Atlanta hip-hop, was actually an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national” who had overstayed his visa.
After deactivating her Twitter account on Sunday night, Lovato took to her Instagram Stories to explain why she was leaving the platform. She shared the seemingly innocuous meme and a screenshot of the replies she received.
“Go shoot some more heroine [sic] Demi,” replied one follower. “She’s a hypocrite let’s pull out the heroin memes and see if this b—- doesn’t get emotional,” replied another.
Lovato was hospitalized last year after a drug overdose. The singer has also been open about her longtime battle with cocaine addiction in the past.
“Wasn’t laughing at anyone getting deported. I know that’s not a joke,” Lovato said on Instagram. “Not have I EVER laughed at that. The meme I posted/was talking about was of him being writing with a feather pen. Sorry if I offended anyone. But it’s no excuse to laugh at someone’s addiction let alone their OD.”
Lovato added she “wasn’t making fun” of 21 Savage’s deportation, but laughing at “who the f— knew 21 was British? Literally no one. That’s it.”
21 Savage was arrested on Sunday by ICE agents, claiming the Grammy-nominated rapper, long associated with Atlanta hip-hop, was actually an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national” who had overstayed his visa. The rapper, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, wasn’t born in Georgia, but instead came to the U.S. from the U.K. in 2005.
Before dropping her Twitter account — and addressing the situation on Instagram — Lovato tweeted “F— Twitter. This is why I don’t tweet anymore.”