{"id":2259875,"date":"2026-01-31T16:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T16:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2259875"},"modified":"2026-01-31T16:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T16:04:09","slug":"eric-benet-slams-celebrities-over-ice-raids-and-journalist-arrests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/eric-benet-slams-celebrities-over-ice-raids-and-journalist-arrests\/","title":{"rendered":"Eric Ben\u00e9t Slams Celebrities Over ICE Raids and Journalist Arrests"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1150437\" src=\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Eric-Benet-at-mic-screenshot-e1769836456175.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Benet (at mic) - screenshot\" width=\"784\" height=\"510\"\/>Eric Benet \u2013 screenshot<\/p>\n<h2>Eric Ben\u00e9t slams celebrities for staying silent on ICE and arrests<\/h2>\n<p>*Grammy-nominated singer <strong>Eric Ben\u00e9t<\/strong> unleashed fierce criticism against celebrities who have stayed quiet about recent<strong> ICE raids<\/strong> and the arrests of journalists <strong>Don Lemon <\/strong>and<strong> Georgia Fort<\/strong>. In a viral post shared on January 30 (2026), Ben\u00e9t accused stars with massive platforms of selective activism and cowardice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cF\u2014 you!\u201d he wrote bluntly, aiming his frustration at those who speak on safe issues but avoid ones with \u201creal consequences.\u201d His message struck a nerve across social media, adding urgency to a growing national debate on press freedom and immigration policy.<\/p>\n<h2>Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort targeted for protest coverage<\/h2>\n<p>As we reported, Don Lemon, a former celebrity.land anchor, was arrested late January 29 in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards. Georgia Fort, an independent Minnesota-based journalist, was taken into custody at her home the next morning. Both were charged with federal crimes tied to their coverage of a January 18 anti-ICE protest.<\/p>\n<p>The demonstration took place at <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citieschurch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cities Church in St. Paul<\/a>, where activists protested a pastor\u2019s ties to ICE. Fort livestreamed her arrest, while Lemon was released after a court appearance the next day. Lemon later declared, \u201cI will not be silenced,\u201d defending his role as a journalist.<\/p>\n<h2>Ben\u00e9t calls out selective activism in Hollywood and music<\/h2>\n<p>Eric Ben\u00e9t\u2019s outrage centers on celebrities who often post about fashion, awards, and viral trends but avoid politically charged topics. He specifically blasted those who failed to support Lemon and Fort or speak out against ICE raids affecting vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n<p>Ben\u00e9t emphasized that his criticism is not directed at everyday people, but at those with influence and reach. \u201cWhen it\u2019s time to take a real stand, they vanish,\u201d his post implied, accusing them of prioritizing their image over justice. His raw approach resonated with fans and free speech advocates alike.<\/p>\n<h2>Social media reacts to Ben\u00e9t\u2019s bold statement<\/h2>\n<p>Outlets like The Jasmine Brand helped amplify Ben\u00e9t\u2019s message, which quickly spread across Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Many users praised his courage, especially in contrast to other stars who have stayed silent\u2014or worse, mocked the situation.<\/p>\n<p>His post sparked discussions around celebrity accountability and the limits of performative activism. Several users noted the contrast between Ben\u00e9t\u2019s call to action and Nicki Minaj\u2019s recent use of homophobic slurs aimed at Don Lemon during the same news cycle.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Nicki Minaj mocks Don Lemon using Homophobic slurs shortly after his unlawful arrest.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8uVCIwOHWR\">pic.twitter.com\/8uVCIwOHWR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Red Media (@RedMedia_us) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RedMedia_us\/status\/2017250957722026459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Contrast with Nicki Minaj fuels deeper conversation<\/h2>\n<p>Ben\u00e9t\u2019s post landed just as Nicki Minaj faced backlash for mocking Don Lemon using a slur in a podcast clip. While Minaj laughed off the issue, Ben\u00e9t demanded accountability. His comments drew praise for defending press freedom, especially in a moment when many fans feel celebrities are picking and choosing their causes.<\/p>\n<p>The difference in tone between the two artists has only deepened public reflection on what it means to use fame responsibly. As immigration enforcement and censorship concerns rise, more fans are watching closely to see which stars will speak\u2014and which will remain silent.<\/p>\n<h2>The stakes for press freedom and celebrity activism<\/h2>\n<p>The arrests of Lemon and Fort, combined with Ben\u00e9t\u2019s fiery critique, underscore growing fears that journalists are being targeted for their reporting. Civil rights groups and media watchdogs have labeled the arrests a potential intimidation tactic by federal agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Ben\u00e9t\u2019s bold stance adds another layer to the conversation: are celebrities willing to risk their brand to speak truth in hard moments? His message calls for action over silence and compassion over comfort\u2014pushing the conversation forward at a critical time.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1137309\" src=\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Eric-Benet-screenshot.webp\" alt=\"Eric Benet - screenshot\" width=\"800\" height=\"826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Eric-Benet-screenshot.webp 800w, https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Eric-Benet-screenshot-291x300.webp 291w, https:\/\/eurweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Eric-Benet-screenshot-768x793.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/>Eric Benet \u2013 screenshot<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">(If You Like\/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please\u00a0<strong>SHARE<\/strong>\u00a0it!)<\/p>\n<p><strong>MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM:\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Steven Ivory: \u2018Brandish\u2019 Your Cell Phone\" href=\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/cell-phone-witness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steven Ivory: \u2018Brandish\u2019 Your Cell Phone<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>We Publish Breaking News 24\/7. Don\u2019t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter<\/b><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eurweb.com\/newsletter\/\">\u00a0<b>HERE<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source eurweb.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eric Benet \u2013 screenshot Eric Ben\u00e9t slams celebrities for staying silent on ICE and arrests *Grammy-nominated singer Eric Ben\u00e9t unleashed fierce criticism against celebrities who have stayed quiet about recent ICE raids and the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. In a viral post shared on January 30 (2026), Ben\u00e9t accused stars with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2259876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2259875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Eric-Benet-Slams-Celebrities-Over-ICE-Raids-and-Journalist-Arrests.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2259875"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2259877,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259875\/revisions\/2259877"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2259876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2259875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2259875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2259875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}