Photo: Instagram/Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding has responded to claims of ignorance and racism after posting photos of herself wearing a Native American headdress for Halloween on Instagram.
The 'Burn' chart-topper posted the images last week while she was performing in Puerto Rico, before many flooded her Twitter and Instragram with messages of disapproval.
Recently, Glastonbury banned them from sale at the festival and Pharrell Williams came under fire for wearing one on the front cover of Elle - due to anger at non-Native Americans appropriating them and robbing them of their cultural and spiritual significance. Goulding received messages accusing her of being “insensitive”, criticising her for acting as if “someone else's culture is a costume”
Goulding soon removed the images from her Instagram account, before taking to Twitter to respond to criticism, before promising a fan that she'd donate to a Native American campaign.
@wallisonluc I wore that beautiful unauthentic headpiece for about 5 minutes. I havnt worn my costume for Halloween yet. 😒
— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) November 1, 2014
@TormentedSugar Then I shall! Thank you x
— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) November 1, 2014
She actually wore this awesome Mr Blobby costume for Halloween:
Conservative MP Philip Davies also stood up for her, telling the Daily Mail: “As far as I’m concerned, all of these people who are complaining are idiots.
"I never cease to be amazed at how easily people will take offence – and usually this is white, middle-class, Guardian-reading, sandal-wearing, politically correct do-gooders who are offended on someone else’s behalf. The people concerned are never usually offended themselves."
Last month, a petition at Change.org saw 65 signatures prove successful in convincing organisers of the Worthy Farm event to forbid the sale of Native American headdresses - following in the footsteps of various other major events around the world, due to the racial sensivity and cultural meaning of the headgear.
As an aside it is worth pointing out that Goulding in fact wore two different Halloween costumes during her trip to Puerto Rico: as found on her Instagram, she also dressed as Mr Blobby.
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