Celebrity

Cardi B Addresses Critics After Tweeting About Buying An $88,000 Purse

"What have you donated?"

by Mary Kate McGrath
Cardi B addresses backlash after tweeting about an $88,000 purse.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

As the nation continues to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing unemployment crisis, many are fed up with overt displays of celebrity extravagance. It seems Cardi B didn't get the memo because she tweeted about buying an $88,000 purse, which immediately sparked controversy. When her fans demanded better, the rapper addressed the issue at hand and the disappointment expressed by her fans.

After Cardi tweeted, "Should I spend 88K for this damn purse? Omggg it’s tempting" on Sunday, Twitter users quickly jumped into her replies, saying this public announcement was unnecessary and insensitive. One user wrote, "Sis, there's an eviction crisis, folks can't feed their families, students are drowning in debt, and people are sick with and dying of COVID." Another echoed their sentiment, adding, "People are out here hurting. Can’t buy food or pay their rent, and you are seriously talking about a purse for tht kind of money."

As more followers told her to "read the room" and expressed how $88,000 could change their lives, Cardi made note of how she's no stranger to charitable contributions. In subsequent tweets, she mentioned her $1 million donation to coronavirus relief in April, how she gave away $1 million via Cash App in August, and how she supplied 20,000 meal supplements to New York City medical workers during the early stages of the pandemic. She also shared how this year put a strain on her own family, tweeting, "Also I got 7 uncles an 3 aunts on my daddy side,9 aunts and 3 uncles on my momma side a whole bunch of cousins I had to help cause of the pandemic."

After asking fans, "What have you donated?" as they encouraged her to spread the wealth, Cardi challenged everyone to send in their own donation receipts so she could match them. "Lets match energy," she added.

The Hustlers star then reminded everyone how much she pays in taxes and how this anger should be directed toward the government instead. She wrote, "I work and I donate while the government takes the money and fund dumb sh*t."

Eventually, Cardi offered an apology of sorts on Twitter. "Ok guys I apologize. There you happy ?!," she tweeted. "I don’t see ya askin trump for a apology when he out here missing COVID meetings to play golf but [OK emoji]." Through it all, it seems Cardi maintained a sense of humor about the backlash and still plans on purchasing the bag. Adding a few laughing emojis, she jokingly asked, "Sooooooo......do ya want me to show ya the purse?"