Political commentator Megyn Kelly criticized Taylor Swift for attending a charity event hosted by comedian Ramy Youssef in Brooklyn on December 8, which donated its proceeds to American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera). Speaking on her SiriusXM show, Kelly, 53, pointed out that NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based organization, describes Anera as “highly political” and accused it of presenting a biased view of the Israel–Palestine conflict, “ignoring any Palestinian responsibility for hardship and contributing to the demonization of Israel.”
Kelly expressed disappointment with Swift’s involvement, stating, “That is the group Taylor Swift thought it might be fun to help raise money for, attend the fundraiser for,” and called for the singer to issue an apology to Israelis and Jewish Americans. Kelly further urged Swift’s fans to boycott the pop star’s events until she addresses the issue
Megyn Kelly criticized Taylor Swift for attending a charity event that raised funds for an organization, which Kelly claims overlooks “any Palestinian responsibility for hardship and contributes to the demonization of Israel.” On her SiriusXM show, Kelly said, “Attending this thing was wrong. It was wrong. Do some Googling. See what they do in Gaza to gays. See about women’s rights in Gaza, Taylor.”
She went on to gesture for Swift to remain silent on such issues, saying, “You clearly know nothing.”
Anera, the nonprofit in question, asserts on its website that it “does not work or even coordinate with” Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State.
Kelly believes Swift “owes Israelis and Jewish Americans an apology.” Other celebrities, including Cara Delevingne, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Zoë Kravitz, were also in attendance.
Swift, recently named Time’s Person of the Year, has faced criticism for staying silent after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli citizens, which left over 1,200 people dead, 240 kidnapped, and many others brutally assaulted. Additionally, one of Swift’s bodyguards reportedly returned to Israel to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces during the conflict.
Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez attended a comedy show benefiting Anera, sparking reactions across social media. The StopAntisemitism organization tweeted, “Since October 7th, Taylor Swift has made ZERO mentions of the massacre that occurred in Israel at the hands of Hamas terrorists. Her own bodyguard, who is charged with protecting her life, went to Israel to serve in the IDF. Swift did, however, make the time to attend a Gaza fundraiser Friday evening with Selena Gomez. When will you attend a fundraiser for Israel @taylorswift13?”
One Twitter user expressed disappointment, saying, “I can’t believe her. I was a full-time Swiftie, and now it’s gone. All my respect. So sad she has lost me as a fan.”
Megyn Kelly called for fans to “boycott” Taylor Swift following her appearance at the fundraiser. One social media user sarcastically commented, “I’m sure Selena Gomez’s fundraising will help,” in response to a video showing Hamas terrorists stealing a UN aid truck meant for Gaza citizens.
Another Twitter user pointed out, “Not to mention that one of the massacre victims, who was considered kidnapped for over a month, was a Swiftie. Many fans and even Israel’s official account reached out to @taylorswift13 for help, and she totally ignored them!”
A third tweet echoed this sentiment, saying, “Not my person of the year!!”
The event, a comedy show hosted by Ramy Youssef, also drew criticism from social media influencer Lindsay Pinchuk, who shared a viral Instagram video stating, “When a celebrity this big makes a statement like this, it fans the flames for more hate and antisemitism against Jewish people.”
However, others supported Swift’s actions, with one person tweeting, “I always loved her songs. Now I’m proud to say I’m a Swiftie!”
Taylor Swift has faced criticism for remaining silent about Hamas’ war on Israel. In response, one Twitter user defended her, saying, “What a sad, pathetic take, Megyn. She attended a comedy show with proceeds going to support HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS in Gaza, where thousands have died and more will. She also donated $1 million to TN tornado relief efforts today, but you’ll never mention that.”
Another person added, “I think anyone blindly supporting either side owes an apology. Both sides are pretty gross.”
Megyn Kelly has also previously criticized Gigi Hadid for spreading misinformation about the Israeli government during the conflict. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kelly said, “First of all, Gigi Hadid is an idiot. She should concentrate [on] walking down the long runway and trying to look pretty; she does a pretty good job of that.”
Hadid, after facing backlash for an Instagram post accusing Israel of “abduction, rape, humiliation, torture [and] murder” of Palestinians, posted an apology and deleted the post. The model, who is of Palestinian descent, has nearly 79 million Instagram followers, which Kelly noted is more than five times the worldwide Jewish population.
