Katy Perry sparks backlash after voting for ‘Republican’ billionaire Rick Caruso
Katy Perry voted for for former Republican Rick Caruso to be mayor of Los Angeles. (Getty)
Katy Perry has received furious backlash from fans after voting for former Republican Rick Caruso to be mayor of Los Angeles.
On Monday (7 November), Perry tweeted out a video in support of abortion rights and Roe v Wade, but just a few hours later posted a photo to Instagram showing her casting her ballot for Caruso with a thumbs-up.
“I am voting for a myriad of reasons but in particular because Los Angeles is a hot mess atm,” she wrote.
Fans were unimpressed considering her recent vote, to say the least.
Caruso, a billionaire and devout Catholic, was formerly a Republican. He switched his voter registration from independent to Democrat in January of this year just before announcing he would be running for LA mayor.
Much of the criticism is centred on the fact that Caruso has a murky record when it comes reproductive rights, though his representatives told ABC7 that “Rick has always been pro-choice and has always supported Roe v Wade”.
But an interview with Caruso in LA Magazine from 2007 reports “he opposes abortion in most cases but would support some stem cell research”, and the mayoral candidate has made donations to anti-abortion politicians as recently as this year.
Further, the University of Southern California’s Caruso Catholic Center, named after the candidate made a $9 million donation, has publicly opposed California’s Proposition 1 which aims to protect abortion rights in the state following the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Here are handy screenshots of some of Rick Caruso's donations to anti-abortion candidates throughout the years – including to Senator Mitch McConnell, who was instrumental in the appointment of three Supreme Court justices in the draft decision who voted to overturn Roe V. Wade. https://t.co/6RUIb3osLh pic.twitter.com/OqiyqxyAQH
— Jon peltz (@JonnyPeltz) May 3, 2022
Rick Caruso’s USC Caruso Catholic Center comes out against Prop 1, saying it will turn California into an “abortion sanctuary.”https://t.co/5S1jNnm8tk pic.twitter.com/MzY8XHa1YZ— LA Candidate Watch (@LACandidates) November 7, 2022
One fan described Perry as a “f**king fraud”, adding: “You literally voted for an anti-abortion billionaire to be mayor of Los Angeles.”
“Katy Perry tweeting out a pro-choice video while voting for Rick Caruso would be objectively hilarious if it wasn’t painfully dumb,” said another.
katy perry tweeting out a pro-choice video while voting for rick caruso would be objectively hilarious if it wasn’t painfully dumb. https://t.co/n6JehiZqpa— Kyler Bondura (@KyKobra) November 8, 2022
Also, Katy Perry, way to tell everyone you voted with your tax bracket, and not the politics you claim to represent.
Rick Caruso is still a Republican. He changed his party JUST to win this seat, but he can't change who he is.— Whitney D ✨ ?? (@whitneyd) November 8, 2022
Found a pic of Katy Perry with her friend Rick Caruso at her concert: pic.twitter.com/AVggVLtauZ
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) November 8, 2022
I don't trust a damn thing about voting that comes from your mouth. You voted for Caruso, who would happily strip your rights from you.— Nickel J. Kreeper ?️ N7Day! ? BLM (@nickelkeep) November 7, 2022
A third tweeted: “Also, Katy Perry, way to tell everyone you voted with your tax bracket, and not the politics you claim to represent.
“Rick Caruso is still a Republican. He changed his party JUST to win this seat, but he can’t change who he is.”
YouTuber Tyler Oakley simply tweeted: “Not Katy Perry voting Republican!”
“Rich Caruso is the Republican candidate and has spent $100,000,000 to try to buy this race,” he added.
