Latest news with #Midler
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bette Midler celebrates selling her Tesla, ‘symbol of racism and greed'
Bette Midler is singing songs of joy after getting rid of her Tesla. 'What a joyful day!' the diva posted on Instagram and Bluesky. 'I sold my (gulp) Tesla!' Though Midler is known for her environmental advocacy, she celebrated ditching the electric vehicle, saying she sees Tesla as 'a symbol of racism, greed and ignorance' due to its association with CEO Elon Musk. Musk's deep-pocketed activism in U.S. politics and far-right messaging worldwide have made Tesla products a target for protesters ever since Jan. 20. President Donald Trump's 'first buddy' spent nearly $3 billion to put the president and his allies back in office, before joining in efforts to slash federal programs and cut government jobs. Midler, 79, has long been an outspoken advocate for liberal politics, and is often critical of Trump and Musk on social media. She abruptly stopped posting on X, which Musk owns, the day after Trump won reelection in November. 'Life is so much better!!!' she wrote on her remaining social media accounts while announcing she joined others in cutting ties with Tesla. Midler is not the first singer to publicly get rid of her Musk-made automobile. In February, Grammy Award-winner Sheryl Crow posted a video of her Tesla being towed away, while saying she was donating money from the sale to NPR. 'There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with,' Crow wrote on Instagram. 'So long Tesla.' Some Tesla owners who haven't sold their vehicles have reported altering them to obscure the cars' make and model out of fear of vandalism or being aligned with Musk. Tesla products and dealerships around the world have been spray painted, lit on fire and otherwise defaced by those who oppose Musk's controversial views. Tesla stock has also been negatively impacted since Musk turned his attention to politics. Trump has meanwhile used his office to encourage people to buy Teslas and warn that anyone who destroys them will be severely punished.
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Bette Midler sells Tesla, calls it a 'symbol of racism, greed and ignorance'
Bette Midler sells Tesla, calls it a 'symbol of racism, greed and ignorance' Show Caption Hide Caption Bette Midler says she wishes she sued Lindsey Lohan for leaving sitcom Bette Midler, 78, has revealed that she "regrets" not suing Lindsey Lohan for ditching her series 'Bette.' Lohan was just 13 years old at the time. unbranded - Entertainment Bette Midler is getting rid of her Tesla in protest of the car company's founder, Elon Musk. Midler ‒ the outspoken star of screen and stage, whose politics lean left ‒ shared the news with fans in an Instagram post Wednesday. "What a joyful day!" a picture Midler posted said. "I sold my (gulp) Tesla! No longer do I have to drive a symbol of racism, greed and ignorance! Life is suddenly so much better!!" Midler's comments were seemingly made in reference to Musk's involvement in President Donald Trump's second administration as the Tesla and SpaceX founder seeks to dramatically reshape American government by reducing the size and scope of federal departments and agencies. Sheryl Crow waves goodbye to towed Tesla car after slamming 'President Musk': See video The world's richest man has led the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. He has been the subject of frequent criticism and backlash over his efforts to slash federal jobs and cut costs at a rapid speed. Midler isn't the only celebrity to sell or tow their Tesla car. In a Valentine's Day Instagram post, liberal country legend Sheryl Crow ditched her Tesla. In an Instagram post, Crow is shown standing on the street while her car is towed. She waves as the Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman song "Time To Say Goodbye" plays in the background. Elon Musk doubles-down on calling Sen. Mark Kelly a 'traitor' "My parents always said… you are who you hang out with," Crow wrote on Instagram. "There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla." Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly also made headlines when he revealed that he got rid of his Tesla vehicle in a video last month, replacing the car with a white Chevrolet Tahoe SUV. President Donald Trump, Bette Midler have yearslong feud Midler and President Trump have shared a yearslong feud, stretching back before Trump took office for the first time. In June 2019, Trump slammed Midler after she apologized for sharing a fake quote attributed to him in the late 1990s. "Washed up psycho @BetteMidler was forced to apologize for a statement she attributed to me that turned out to be totally fabricated by her in order to make 'your great president' look really bad," he posted on Twitter, now known as X. "He certainly knew his crowd," Midler tweeted. She deleted the tweet and apologized. Contributing: Rebecca Morin
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘I have to survive': San Diego Holocaust survivor tells story on anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — Monday marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the most infamous Nazi concentration camps, by Soviet Union troops. The international community has come to use the anniversary as a day to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other people persecuted and killed during Nazi rule, known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mourners from around the world spent the day paying tribute to the lives lost in the genocide and listening to the stories of people who survived. Free Holocaust exhibit opens at La Jolla Library Among those who lived through the Holocaust was Ben Midler, who joined KUSI on Monday to share his story. Originally hailing from Poland, the now-96-year-old was just 12 years old when the Nazis first invaded the country. Three years later, Midler, who is Jewish, ended up in the first of six concentration camps he had been imprisoned in until being freed by Soviet soldiers. He was 17 when he was finally liberated. One of the six camps he was in held at was Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he was placed in one of the labor camps. 'I always thought I got to survive,' Midler said. 'I didn't think of would I survive. I said to myself, 'I have to survive.'' Once he was liberated, Midler returned to Poland to search for his family — none had survived, save for a couple relatives who had moved out of the country prior to the war. He then moved to Israel, where he lived for a decade before emigrating to the U.S. Watch the full KUSI interview with Midler in the player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
