Grimes has defended boyfriend Elon Musk over donations made to Republican campaigns and said she tried to get Tesla employees to unionise.
The star, whose real name is Claire Boucher, has been publically known to be dating the co-founder and CEO of energy storage company Tesla since May when the pair attended the Met Gala together.
A fan questioned Boucher’s relationship on Twitter, writing: “Elon donates to republicans, people who deny climate change, a cause you and your boyfriend or whatever are supposed to care for so??? why are you still with him? why? you’re one of my favourite artists it is quite infuriating how blind or unwilling to see you are.”
https://twitter.com/Grimezsz/status/1021206362095665152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1021206362095665152&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stereogum.com%2F2007336%2Fgrimes-says-she-tried-to-instigate-a-tesla-union-vote-defends-elon-musks-gop-donations%2Fnews%2F
The musician replied: “Every aerospace company has to donate to republicans in order to function. in fact most major companies across the board do, in some capacity. it’s the price of doing business in america.”
She added that Musk also donates “absurdly more” money to environmental causes. He recently was criticised for donating nearly seven times as much to Republican campaigns in this election cycle than he had given to Democrats.
https://twitter.com/Grimezsz/status/1021952376389820416
Boucher also told her followers that she had tried to “instigate [a] union vote so y’all would lay off” earlier this year, but said the United Automobile Workers (UAW) couldn’t get enough signatures after a plant in Fremont was “abandoned in the last crash”. “Bc of this Tesla doin third party polling to make sure employees r in a good space since majority don’t want union,” she explained.
A complaint was filed with the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) by the UAW in May claiming that Musk had threatened to strip benefits from workers who supported unionising.
Meanwhile, Grimes was recently awarded a restraining order against a stalker who trespassed on her property. Raymond Barraja was taken into custody after the musician’s brother called the police.