Jewel addresses fans who ‘feel betrayed’ by her RFK Jr. performance

Jewel is responding to criticism of her decision to perform at a recent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. event.

The “You Were Meant For Me” singer posted an Instagram video Friday addressing fans disappointed by her appearance at Monday’s Make America Healthy Again Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C.

“I am so sorry that I caused pain, especially in my LGBTQIA+ community, because you guys are treasures,” Jewel said. “You make the world a better place. You’ve made my life a better place. And I will not stop fighting. None of us can afford to stop fighting, and I really believe that the only way we change is in relationship. It isn’t in isolation or by isolating, it’s by being in relationship, by reaching out, by having hard conversations.”

The singer-songwriter said it “pains” her to hear that some of her fans feel betrayed. “I really hope that we can push through our hurt and move toward understanding on both sides,” she said. “I am so sorry that some of my longtime fans feel that I let them down.”

Jewel performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” for Kennedy and his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines, at the ball. Kennedy — the prominent vaccine skeptic, black-sheep scion of a famous political family, and former presidential candidate — was recently nominated by President Donald Trump to run the Department of Health and Human Services.

Jewel’s statement wasn’t exactly a mea culpa, as she spent most of the video defending her decision to perform for the controversial politician. “I am a mental health advocate,” she said. “If there’s anything that I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that mental health affects everybody’s lives — across party lines. I reached out to the last administration, spoke with the surgeon general about the mental health crisis that’s facing our nation.”

Jewel couched her discussion of suicidal ideation in Gen Z internet lingo. “I don’t know if you guys know the stats, but it is bleak,” she said. “One in four kids — oof. One in four kids are considering unaliving themselves, and it’s not much better for adults.”

The singer sees herself as a powerful voice in the world of mental health advocacy. “I believe I can help, and if I believe I can help, I have to try,” she said. “And if I wait to try until I agree 100 percent with the people that might be willing to help me, I’d never get off the bench. I don’t think that’s how activism works — waiting until everything’s perfect enough to participate. It’s actually because things are so imperfect that we have to find ways to engage and to participate.”

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Jewel reiterated that she believes the Trump cabinet will be able to make great strides in mental health policy. “We cannot wait another four years,” she said. “I believe there are people in the new administration that are willing to help on this issue, and I do not agree on all the politics, but if I can help shape policy, make sure mental health is in the conversation when it comes to American health, if I can help put resources or mental health tools into the hands of the most vulnerable who need it, I’m going to try, and I’m going to fight.”

The musician didn’t seem to take a stance on which political party she prefers. “Half of our country feels hope right now, and I honor that,” she said. “And half of our country feels disenfranchised and scared and vulnerable, and that is unacceptable.”

Jewel concluded with a vaguely optimistic message. “I want to be a ray of light in this world,” she said. “I try hard to be a ray of light in your lives. And I know that in times of darkness, we must grow light, and so I will wake up again tomorrow and try again. And I will count on each of you to do the same. I have so much love and admiration for each of you.”