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Musical artist Grimes is facing backlash for comments she made about the lifestyle habits of her on-and-off-again partner, billionaire Elon Musk.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Grimes tried to explain that the tech mogul and father of her two children does not live the lavish lifestyle associated with the uber-wealthy.
She said:
“Bro does not live like a billionaire."
"Bro lives at times below the poverty line."
"To the point where I was like, can we not live in a very insecure $40,000 house?"
"Where the neighbors, like, film us, and there’s no security, and I’m eating peanut butter for eight days in a row?”
Grimes went on to refute Musk was hoarding his massive amounts of capital.
She said he is using it for "research and development" for his Mars expansion and colonization project. She also shared a story about Musk refusing to get a new mattress when one of theirs had a hole in it.
While Grimes may think she painted a humanizing and down-to-earth picture of her billionaire partner, folks on the internet are not taking the bait. Many people took offense to flippant claims Musk "lives at times below the poverty line."
Poverty, a number of people pointed out, is not a choice.
One Twitter user said Grimes' statement was "an insult to anyone struggling to put food on the table."
People pointed out frugality or being cheap and poverty are not at all the same thing.
One person noted while Grimes and Musk may share a modest living arrangement, that's in no way a destitute or impoverished lifestyle.
Another follower was not buying Grimes' mattress story.
They pointed out if she took issue with Musk's lifestyle choices, she had plenty of her own resources to fix the problem.
Another user noted a very important character in this story—the family's nanny, who was present throughout the interview caring for the couple's new baby.
Given most childcare professionals often actually live below the poverty line, this makes Grimes' comment in particularly poor taste.
Another person hit Musk where it hurts, suggesting he try taking the bus or flying coach for once.
Most people agreed the couple definitely needs a reality check given the number of people across the globe living in truly dire conditions.
Another pointed out the whole situation seems like billionaires just doing billionaire things.
Honestly, Grimes could have saved a lot face and just said what we all know is true:
Because that's what she and Musk both are regardless of how they choose to live.