Rad Museum has published an apology regarding the Starbucks controversy he faced backlash for earlier this year.
The Controversy
In February, Rad Museum received criticism for posting an Instagram story in which a Starbucks cup was visible. Amid the Palestine-Israel genocide, several companies, including Starbucks, have been subject to boycotts due to their supporting and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Fans of the artist made an effort to inform him about the situation, but Rad Museum’s poor response was subject to backlash.
A number of Instagram stories were posted by the artist where he asked people to not enforce their opinions on him and expressed frustration about the criticism he was receiving. Though he acknowledged the genocide, Rad Museum stated that he did not think drinking Starbucks directly promotes the company or the horrific events that are currently still taking place.
Apology
On July 15th, Rad Museum published an apology via Instagram regarding the situation. In the statement, he apologized for the way he handled the criticism, and stated that his actions have affected fellow artists associated with him. The artist clarified that, at the time of his troublesome response, he did not intend to include political views in the situation and that he was not familiar with the details of the war.
He goes on to explain that he did not purchase or consume the Starbucks coffee that was seen in the picture and the product only happened to be in the space he was in. Furthermore, Rad Museum points out that, as the situation escalated, he received numerous cruel messages which affected him mentally.
Rad Museum finishes the statement apologizing and promising to be more cautious, as well as more mature in the future. He states:
“I once again sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by my post, and I will take this incident as a lesson to strive to become a more mature artist”.
Read the full statement here:
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