It’s been a busy week for Sexyy Red. The rapper—real name Janae Nierah Wherry—sparked debate on Tuesday after revealing her support for ex-President Donald Trump during a podcast appearance.
Then on Wednesday, the 25-year-old’s sex tape was leaked on Instagram. Fans accused the star of purposefully distributing the video to draw attention away from her Trump remarks, claims that Sexyy Red has denied.
Whatever people think of the singer’s politics, the furor doesn’t seem to have dented her popularity too much. Her track “Shake Yo Dreads” is currently number one on Spotify’s “Most Necessary” playlist, the web player’s “official voice of the next generation” in hip-hop.
Her single “SkeeYee” from her second mixtape Hood Hottest Princess isn’t far behind, taking sixth place. Sexyy Red’s social media following has also surged, with the star gaining 122,000 Instagram followers on Thursday, according to analytics website Social Blade. She also gained an additional 80,000 followers on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.
While appearing on comedian Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast on Tuesday, the rapper said “she likes Trump” and “they support him in the hood.”
“At first, I don’t think people was f***** with him like they thought he was racist, saying little s***, and you know, against women,” she told Von.
“But once he started getting Black people out of jail and giving people their free money. Oh baby we love Trump, we need him back in office.”
The rapper also said she enjoys watching Trump’s interviews, describing the 77-year-old as “bold and funny.”
The interview with Von divided opinion online, with X user Spicy Spice commenting: “You can’t make me hate her.”
“The one thing I agree with her on,” said sexytyrant.
“I love trump..brave man,” agreed Burgeo, while Richie Racks declared “Trump for America””
However, others disagreed with Sexyy Red’s stance, with Tevin Williams calling the clip “cringey as fuck.”
“The ignorance is real,” said @branchsells. “Thoughts & prayers to Ms. Sexyy.”
“What has he actually done for any of us?” asked ElderGoose, while Samuel wrote: “These wack rappers are really pathetic.”
Shortly after her Trump remarks went viral, a sex tape was posted to Sexyy Red’s Instagram on October 4. Fans accused the hip-hop star of sharing the video herself to distract from the podcast appearance, but Sexyy Red confirmed on X that the leak was non-consensual and deleted quickly after going live.
“I’m so heartbroken anybody that kno me knows I wouldn’t do no goofy s*** like that,” she wrote.
Newsweek has reached out to Sexyy Red for comment via email.