When anger mounted on footage showing a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck when he died, Thursday’s singer tweeted from his son’s two-minute clip, David Banda, dancing to Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us.”
He wrote in the statement: “The brutal murder traveled around the world of my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and his Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that occur every day in America. #Davidbanda #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #MichaelJackson.”
But the singer was ridiculed by several commentators for responses that were not sensitive to the story, which had sparked protests in a number of big cities.
“Nobody asked Madonna to consider today. Not a soul. Forced errors among public figures have been rampant this month,” wrote April Ryan, a political reporter and creator of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign.
TV writer Akilah Green added that the video was “worse than Pepsi could,” referring the famous 2017 commercial starring Kendall Jenner who uses the image of protest to market soft drinks.
Some other commentators jokingly thank Madonna for “ending racism.”
Video footage of Floyd’s death has sparked more painful talk about the use of force by US police against African Americans and causes shooting of police officer Derek Chauvin. The protesters called on the officials involved to face criminal charges and protests erupted in several cities on Thursday night.
This latest video is not the first time Madonna has been criticized for making awkward social comments in the last few weeks.
In March, singer told fans that Covid-19 is a “great equalizer” while lying on the bath of milk sprinkled with rose petals.
CNN has contacted Madonna representatives to comment.
