John Rich's post about Travis Kelce has sparked debate on social media after the country music star mocked the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end and his promotional campaign with Pfizer.
"Are you sick of Travis Kelce telling you to get the experimental jab every time you turn on the TV?" Rich asked his 1 million followers in a January 27 poll on X, formerly Twitter. The singer-songwriter is a known vaccine skeptic, with some users applauding his dig at Kelce. Newsweek has reached out to John Rich and Travis Kelce for comment via email.
Out of the more than 17,000 people who voted, 95 percent picked, "YES. Stop the madness!" while 5 percent chose, "No. More jabs please."
"It's disgusting!" wrote Dillion Fillion, while Tammy posted: "So over it! My goodness."
"I'm sick of Kelce, period!!" commented @NLipples, while @Picklepot67 called the NFL player a "Total loser," and @Save__all wrote that the ad "Changed how I feel about him."
However, other users blasted Rich's post, telling him to grow up. "I am tired of pathetic fragile men who get on twitter to cry about commercials and pop stars," posted @monalisavito_. "The more Travis Kelce I see, the better," added Casey Holmes.
Kelce announced the paid partnership with Pfizer in September. The 34-year-old shared a video to his Instagram account, where he advised viewers to get their flu shot alongside their COVID-19 vaccine booster.
Several conservative figures slammed the endorsement. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers dubbed the football star "Mr Pfizer," while political commentator Tomi Lahren dissed Kelce's pop star girlfriend on X, writing: "Is this what happens when you date Taylor Swift?"
This isn't the first time Rich has taken aim at Pfizer, which produces one of the two mRNA vaccines used to fight COVID-19. The 50-year-old hit out at the pharmaceutical company in June, following unsupported rumors that Jamie Foxx had been left paralyzed and blind by the vaccine.
"Jamie Foxx should sue Pfizer... oh that's right, never mind. They have immunity from all the damages they've caused," Rich wrote on X.
"This story is happening all over the country and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This is the definition of crimes against humanity. Pray for Jamie," Rich added.
Foxx was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical condition in April. Although the cause of his illness has not been revealed, the 56-year-old actor did debunk claims that he was sightless or immobilized on Instagram in August.
Rich's comments caused controversy online. A few weeks later, he caused further uproar by sharing a video alleging a link between vaccines and autism.
Rumors that vaccines cause autism have been circling the internet for years, but numerous studies have found no evidence to support the claims.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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