Grammy winner Sheryl Crow responded to "haters" after she ditched her Tesla to protest the company's owner, Elon Musk.
On Saturday, the "Soak Up the Sun" singer posted a video of her waving goodbye to her Tesla as it was driven off on a flatbed truck down a tree-lined road.
The clip was set to the tune of "Time to Say Goodbye," sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.
"My parents always said… you are who you hang out with," Crow wrote in the caption.
Musk has come under fire after Republican President Donald Trump named him to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal spending by cutting expenses that included diversity, equity, and inclusion contracts (DEI).
The self-ascribed "free speech absolutist" was also slammed for numerous other indiscretions like openly making transphobic comments and giving the Nazi salute twice during Trump's inauguration.
Crow, who has had enough of owning a vehicle associated with the controversial billionaire continued:
"There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla."
Crow is donating the proceeds to National Public Radio (NPR), which she said was "under threat by President Musk, in hopes that the truth will continue to find its way to those willing to know the truth."
Earlier this month, Musk took to his X (formerly Twitter) platform and called for NPR to be defunded, stating “It should survive on its own."
Here is her video post.
Trolls blasted Crow's protest of Musk, with one user calling the video "another liberal meltdown" while another alleged hypocrisy, writing, "Let me guess, your other cars are Mercedes and BMW. Go look up what the German government did in the 40’s…"
Others questioned the clip's authenticity regarding when the transaction actually happened by pointing out the fall leaves in the background.
"We live pretty close to each other and that's not a recent video. There are no leaves on the ground like that right now. That's from last Fall. Also, Elon already made his money when you bought the car. Nice try," wrote another commenter.
Crow's decision to donate the money to NPR polarized users.
Those against her cause included comments from one who wrote, “Good. So long as I don’t have to pay for that propaganda station, I’m fine. Let all the celebrities fund it,” while another said, “Should have given it to a homeless person in FL or CA who lost everything.”
The MAGA contingent also took personal swipes at the singer on X.
In response to the Tesla donation backlash, Crow defended her stance against Musk and Trump's administration, claiming the video was "all about intention."
"My intention is to support causes I care about, and to make my voice be heard," she wrote in the caption.
“Hey guys, wow, I didn’t know that my post would blow up the way that it did," she said in the video. "Thank you for people that were loving; for you guys who were on the hate side of things."
First, Crow confirmed the video was not a recent event but explained it was timely for a different reason.
"Yeah, there were some leaves on the tree because yes, I did donate my Tesla right after the election but this is the week I got confirmation back that the money went to NPR, which is something that I care about," she clarified.
She continued:
"Not everybody can donate a car to something they care about, for me it was important because I understood that NPR would be going away, and that is where I get my news as well as PBS - places that I feel that I can count on that are not based on algorithms."
The singer then cleared the air about her philanthropy after she was criticized about where her donation money goes.
“Also addressing haters. Why did I not give it to hurricane victims? I give a sh*t ton of money to things I care about, including: hurricane victims, the environment, safe schools, Sandy Hook, cancer research... so, let’s put that aside."
“Not everybody’s gonna to be able to donate a Tesla, but if you are looking for something to do, make sure that your voice is heard."
"I’m gonna post a bunch of resources on here so go on, call your representative, let him know how you feel. I feel like people are getting desensitized or completely freaked out and feel like they’re helpless."
"You don’t have to feel that way. It’s Part II of voting, okay?”
She was met with overwhelming support in response to her explanation video.
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According to Britannica, "The majority of NPR’s revenue comes from corporate sponsorships, fees from member organizations through the licensing of programs, and cash contributions."
"Member organizations receive most of their revenue from individual donors, corporations, foundations, and colleges and universities."
"These sources are often identified within NPR’s programming. The NPR Foundation helps with fundraising and securing charitable donations."
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