Fact Check: Did Adele use a homophobic slur while firing a t-shirt cannon on stage? Viral video debunked

Did Adele use a homophobic slur while firing a t-shirt cannon on stage? (Image via Instagram/@adele)
Did Adele use a homophobic slur while firing a t-shirt cannon on stage? (Image via Instagram/@adele)

The Rolling in the Deep singer Adele has come under online scrutiny after a video of her shooting T-shirts from a cannon went viral on X. The video was posted by an account named ‘Sam,’ a fan and parody account, with Adele’s picture on its cover. In the video, the singer cheered after firing the T-shirt cannon. However, as the caption mentions, she reportedly said:

“Oh we hit the f**king fag!!"

This is not the first time the singer has used the T-shirt cannon; she has used it in several past performances, making it hard to determine from which specific show the viral video clip originated. Soon after the video went viral, X users started posting their reactions as some could not believe that she used a homophobic slur. One netizen wrote:

“I thought she was an ally.”

However, others raised doubts over Adele's term as the video did not clarify what exactly she said. Many netizens denied the viral claim.

“I think she said fan, I don't hear a g,” a person wrote.
“Why am I hearing "we hit the stand" or something similar? At no point does it sound like she's saying anything with an "F" sound,” another X user commented.
“Yall she said “I hit it in the f**king stands” like the back of the venue,” a netizen pointed out.

As per the Community Note section of the X post, Adele did not use the word ‘f*g’ but ‘stands,’ so there is a chance that listeners might have misinterpreted the word due to her accent. The claims defended the singer now seem correct as many X users respond similarly to the community note.

Hence, the singer did not use a homophobic slur. In that case, what Adele might have said would be:

“Oh my God it hit the f**king stands”

Adele used a rotating T-shirt cannon during her Munich Residency Concert

In early August, during her performance at Munich, the singer used an upgraded and rotating T-shirt cannon. Videos captured by fans and shared on X showed the singer humorously attempting to handle the giant, rotating T-shirt cannon.

She managed it well initially, but when the cannon malfunctioned, she asked the staff to toss the shirts into the crowd instead. The iconic singer remarked that the cannon was making an odd noise and malfunctioning.

During the final night of her Munich residency, she informed fans that she had ten shows remaining in her ongoing Las Vegas residency, but after that, she would be taking an extended break. She added that she would cherish the fans in her heart throughout her time away.

According to Entertainment Weekly, her Munich residency was intended to conclude her busy three-year stretch of continuous performances, following her Weekends with Adele residency in Las Vegas. She told the audience that these three years of performing had been the longest of her career and likely the longest she would ever do.

In July 2024, she hinted at taking a break from music, mentioning that she had no immediate plans for new material. She expressed her desire for an extended pause and interest in exploring other creative pursuits.

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Edited by Priscillah Mueni