Her hands are hers.
Jewel is opening up about her choice to perform at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s ball honoring Donald Trump’s inauguration, explaining that her commitment to addressing the nation’s mental health crisis transcends political divides.
The 50-year-old singer-songwriter took to Instagram on Friday to share a video defending her performance at RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” ball (aka MAHA), which took place in Washington, D.C., days earlier, while also apologizing to her “longtime fans” because she “caused pain.”
At the event, Jewel sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” for RFK Jr., 71, a vocal vaccine skeptic selected by President Donald Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
In her video, Jewel addressed her fans, apologizing to those who may have been disappointed by her actions. She shared that she felt it was more important to “act now” and work with Trump’s administration on mental health issues rather than wait for a political administration with which she fully aligns.
“As many of you know, I am a mental health advocate. If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that mental health affects everybody’s lives across party lines,” she explained in the video. “I reached out to the last administration, spoke with the surgeon general about the mental health crisis that’s facing our nation. I don’t know if you guys know the stats, but it is bleak.”
Jewel expressed that she believes she can make a difference and feels compelled to help.
“If I wait to try until I agree 100% with the people that might be willing to help me, I’d never get off the bench. I don’t think that’s how activism works, waiting until everything’s perfect enough to participate,” she said. “It’s actually because things are so imperfect that we have to find ways to engage and to participate. And we have to act now. We cannot wait another four years.”
The Grammy-winning artist acknowledged that while she doesn’t agree with every political view held by the leaders of the current administration, she still believes there are people within it who are “willing to help on this issue.”
“If I can help shape policy, make sure mental health is in the conversation when it comes to American health. If I can help put resources or mental health tools into the hands of the most vulnerable who need it, I’m going to try and I’m going to fight,” she shared. “And I understand that my words were overly simplistic. Half of our country feels hope right now, and I honor that. And half of our country feels disenfranchised and scared and vulnerable, and that is unacceptable.”
Jewel also said she is “so sorry” that she “caused pain,” particularly to her LGBTQIA+ followers, whom she described as “treasures.”
“You make the world a better place. You’ve made my life a better place. And I will not stop fighting,” she said. “None of us can afford to stop fighting, and I really believe that the only way we can change is in relationship. It isn’t in isolation or by isolating, it’s by being in relationship, by reaching out, by having hard conversations, and I really hope that we can push through our hurt and move toward understanding on both sides.”
The “Hands” singer added, “It pains me, and I’m so sorry. Some of my longtime fans feel that I let them down.”
“I want to be a ray of light in this world. I try hard to be a ray of light in your lives,” she continued. “And I know that in times of darkness we must grow light and so I will wake up again tomorrow and try again. And I will count on each of you to do the same.”
She concluded, “I have so much love and admiration for each of you.”
The “Masked Singer” Season 6 winner did not publicly endorse a candidate in the 2024 election.
As a longtime advocate for mental health, Jewel co-founded the Inspiring Children Foundation, which focuses on helping at-risk youth in Las Vegas through a holistic approach to physical, emotional, and mental well-being. She also launched Innerworld, a virtual reality platform offering users a safe, anonymous space to access free mental health resources.
The star was not listed on the press release for the MAHA inauguration ball and did not post footage of her performance to her Instagram account.
However, Jewel’s association with RFK Jr. is not new. On Jan. 4, the star shared a photo on her Instagram of her with him and two of his kids, Kyra and Conor, at an event supporting Inspiring Children.
