The Bachelorette stars Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher are facing a wave of criticism after sharing photos that show them with drinks from Starbucks.
The coffee chain is one of a number of brands across the world that have faced boycott calls by pro-Palestinian supporters over supposed support of Israel amid its war in Gaza, following the October 7 attacks conducted by Hamas.
The company was drawn into the conversation after Starbucks Workers United, the union representing many of its baristas, expressed solidarity with Palestinians in a post shared on X, formerly Twitter. The union's message and Starbucks' response—taking legal action against the union—led to boycotts from customers.
Workers United later said that employees put up the tweet without the authorization of union leaders. The post was deleted, with Starbucks issuing legal action against the union. The company sad that "people were mistakenly tying these remarks to us, because Workers United, its affiliates and members continue to use our name, logo and intellectual property."
The union has sued Starbucks back, accusing the company of defaming it.
Fletcher sparked ire among social-media users over the weekend, when she shared photos of herself and her husband Rodgers posing together with beverages that bore the distinctive Starbucks logo. Newsweek has contacted representatives of Jordan Rodgers and Fletcher via email for comment.
Captioning the images, Fletcher wrote: "Coffee is a love language in our relationship... so is agreeing to random self timer photoshoots in public."
Responding in the comments sections, sports commentator Rodgers, who is the younger brother of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wrote: "I can be bribed to do about anything for coffee."
While Fletcher's post has amassed more than 100,000 likes, it has also attracted a wave of criticism from detractors unhappy with the choice of brand.
"Starbucks? How disappointing," wrote one Instagram user, who added that they found it "disappointing to see a creator I've followed and looked up to for years supporting a company that openly support genocide."
A number of Instagram users responded by posting Palestinian flags and watermelon emojis. The watermelon, which is grown in Gaza and the West Bank, has become an emblem of Palestinian solidarity and resistance.
One fan asked what the couple had ordered, prompting one Instagram user to respond, "Bloodshed!"
"Not the Starbucks," wrote one, while another asked: "Why not support a small business?"
Amid a number of comments demanding that people "boycott Starbucks," another branded the company's beverages "genocide coffee."
While a number of Instagram users weighed in with criticism, many others defended the couple's choice, with one telling detractors: "Boycotting Starbucks will do absolutely nothing. There are much greater evils out there, focus your energy on them and not where regular people go to get their coffee."
"Who cares," another commented. "Let them spend their money how they want."
"It's the assumptions for me," posted another of those who took the photos as taking a stance on the war. "Going to Starbucks, does not mean that you personally stand for that."
Others commented about the couple, with one calling them "cute," and another telling them that they are "very blessed."
"Can you just make babies already? They would be so cute! You two are the best looking couple," another wrote.
Starbucks has not made any statements allying itself to either side of the conflict in Gaza.
In a statement released on its website on December 29, 2023, Starbucks said: "Our position remains unchanged. Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.
"Despite false statements spread through social media, we have no political agenda. We do not use our profits to fund any government or military operations anywhere—and never have."
Fletcher and Rodgers got engaged on the season 12 Bachelorette finale. Following a four-year engagement, they had planned to wed in the summer of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel their plans. They eventually tied the knot in May 2022.
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