Chrisette Michele accepted the offer to perform during president Donald Trump's inauguration after his controversial win. Her decision was met with a lot of criticism. The backlash was not short-lived either. Chrisette's career suffered greatly and she claims to feel the repercussions to this day. She opened up about the state of her professional trajectory to the Washington Post at Pennsylvania’s Keswick Theater following her show.
Although the songstress had made it clear that she did not vote for Trump during the elections, the left-leaning public was outraged at the fact that she took $75,000 for the infamous gig.
“People didn’t feel hopeful from that moment," Michele said. "They didn’t feel represented in that moment. They felt misrepresented. They felt further misunderstood, and they felt the person they were depending on to speak on their behalf just betrayed them.”
After much reflection, she accepts the sentiments behind her following's disappointment. “While I felt like people took so much away from me in those two years, I’m more grateful for finally having time to look at the last 12," she continued. "And I think that is the bright side. I want people to know that it’s okay to expect more from me.”
The ordeal launched Chrisette into a depression that may have been a factor in the miscarriage she suffered but she is now trying to stay positive. “When you go to a theater that’s half full, you don’t say, ‘Well, it’s half full.’ You sing to the people that are there.”