Coronavirus: Bryan Adams accused of racism over ‘bat eating, virus making’ rant

Bryan Adams has caused controversy thanks to a social media post blaming the coronavirus pandemic on “f****** bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b*******”.

The singer-songwriter made the comments in an Instagram caption lamenting the cancellation of his three-night residency at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which had been due to take place this week before COVID-19 hit, alongside a video of himself singing his 1983 song Cuts Like A Knife.

He said his message is to “go vegan”.

A link to the post has apparently since been deleted from Adams’ Twitter account, but the statement remained on his Instagram page on Tuesday afternoon, almost 24 hours after it was originally posted.

“Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of a tenancy of gigs at the @royalalberthall, but thanks to some f****** bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b*******, the whole world is now on hold, not to mention the thousands that have suffered or died from this virus,” he said.

“My message to them other than ‘thanks a f****** lot’ is go vegan.”

Adams said while he has enjoyed isolation with his family he is missing his “other family, my band, my crew and my fans”.

The comments have led to the Canadian star’s name trending on Twitter, with some calling his post racist.

“Bryan Adams’ racist xenophobic tirade has been up for 10 hours now. Damage has been done,” Dr Wing Kar Li posted.

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However, many have sided with the star – including former reality TV star Katie Hopkins, who is now better known for her controversial views and support of people such as former EDL leader Tommy Robinson.

And another user wrote: “There is nothing racist in his comments. His rage is against meat eaters, particularly ‘exotic meat’ eaters, and he’s right. Every coronavirus had its origins in meat consumption. Bryan Adams is right, go vegan!”

Sky News has contacted representatives for Adams for comment.

He is not the first star to criticise wet markets, with Sir Paul McCartney accusing them of being “medieval” and “obscene” in April.

While the virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, most scientists say it was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal such as the armadillo-like pangolin.

The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which was closed after being linked to the first cases of coronavirus, is widely considered to be the source of the outbreak but this has not yet been conclusively proved.

Last week, informed Whitehall sources told Sky News that the UK believes it is highly likely the strain of coronavirus behind the global pandemic first passed from animals to humans naturally.

The possibility that SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19 – might have leaked accidentally from a Chinese laboratory cannot be disproved, but it is considered unlikely, they said.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Bryan Adams accused of racism over ‘bat eating, virus making’ rant