John Legend sent texts to Kanye West Thursday in an attempt to sway West from recent support he expressed for President Donald Trump, but West made the texts public along with his responses in a series of Twitter posts.
“I hope you’ll reconsider aligning yourself with Trump,” Legend began the first text. “You’re way too powerful and influential to endorse who he is and what he stands for. As you know, what you say really means something to your fans. ... So many people who love you feel so betrayed right now. ... Don’t let this be part of your legacy,” Legend said, in part.
West made the text public a few hours later along with his response: “I love you John and I appreciate your thoughts. You bringing up my fans or my legacy is a tactic based on fear used to manipulate my free thought.”
West then followed up with another tweet, saying, “I tweeted the John text to show that there are people around me that disagree with me and voice their opinion. I respect everyone’s opinion but I stand my ground.”
He then told his twitter followers not to “let peer pressure manipulate” them.
Legend then implored West to “think freely. Think with empathy and context too. Your words and actions have consequences.” He then said “since you’re posting texts, let me add that I have a new single out haha.”
Legend’s wife Chrissy Teigen called the exchange “the most elaborate and complex google pixel phone ad I have ever seen.”
Tiegen also asked Kim Kardashian West if their dinner plans were still on for Friday, to which Kardashian West replied humorously, “Yes, but maybe no phones.”
In recent days, West tweeted support for his “brother” Trump and posted a picture of himself wearing Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hat, as well as posting that the hat had been signed.
For his part, Trump tweeted his appreciation for West’s support.
Kanye later responded to criticism about him being in the “sunken place,” a reference to the movie “Get Out” where the main black character is hypnotized by his white captors, suggesting that Kanye's mind is under the control of white people.
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