Selena Gomez rips Trump rally Puerto Rico joke: "I definitely want to stand by my people"
Los Angeles, California - Selena Gomez has fired back at the viral racist joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during a recent rally in support of Donald Trump.
The 32-year-old pop star hit the red carpet with her Emilia Pérez co-stars at Tuesday's Hollywood premiere of the buzzy flick.
Per Variety, Gomez said she "strongly disagreed" with Hinchcliffe's jab that called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage".
"I definitely want to stand by my people," she said, referring to her Mexican heritage on her dad's side.
Gomez's co-star Zoe Saldaña, whose mom is Puerto Rican, shared a similar sentiment, saying, "It's sad that today, 2024, there's just so much poverty in character on so many people that we misname as leaders."
Hinchcliffe has been under widespread fire for the racist remark, with the Trump campaign also taking a significant hit as well.
While the campaign denied that the joke was in line with the former president's beliefs, Trump himself later referred to the rally as a "love fest".
Gomez further encouraged others to participate in this year's presidential election, telling Variety, "People can sometimes forget that the one vote can change everything."
Selena Gomez urges Americans to vote in 2024 presidential election
The Rare Beauty founder cast her vote earlier this week and documented the process of mailing in her ballot via social media.
Though she hasn't formally endorsed a candidate, she added a blue heart emoji to a photo of herself submitting her vote – likely referring to support for Democrat Kamala Harris.
Fans can catch Gomez, Saldaña, and the rest of the acclaimed ensemble of Emilia Pérez when the film hits Netflix on November 13.
Cover photo: Monica Schipper / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP