American singer and songwriter Ethel Cain (a.k.a. Hayden Silas Anhedönia) is facing backlash from a Fox News panel. During a recent episode of the network’s The Big Weekend Show, hosts Jason Chaffetz, Jackie DeAngelis, Anita Vogel, and Guy Benson criticized Cain and called for fans to "boycott" her.
The controversy arose from Cain's Instagram story shared on January 10, 2025, in which she expressed her thoughts on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Her story included the hashtag #KillMoreCEOs, which the Fox panelists likened to "terrorism."
As news of Ethel Cain's criticism by Fox went viral, internet users were quick to react. One user on X quipped:
"Is the backlash in the room with us?"
Many continued to criticize Fox's move. Some comments seen on X:
"They’re mad because she’s right," one X user commented
"Tonight they’re gonna talk about how she’s indoctrinating the kids," another fan wrote.
"The “major backlash” that just so happens to be confined to the Fox News headquarters," a fan quipped.
Others commented on the network's reasoning.
"“Write to a law maker” or “have a conversation” as if that ever works," one person reacted.
"I know they were absolutely fuming once they realised they were gendering her correctly. This is hilarious," another user stated.
"This just shows how little, if any, research Fox News does because they would’ve been talking about her being trans more than anything," a person noted.
"Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction"— Ethel Cain calls out political lobbying by big corporations for profit
On January 10, Ethel Cain took to her Instagram stories to share a quote by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, which called out large organizations like the NRA, oil, and insurance companies.
"Money in politics is the root of our dysfunction," the quote read.
According to Billboard, in a follow-up story, the Preacher's Daughter artist explained she wasn't trying to be "edgy." She continued her criticism of big corporations, stating that they "giggle at protesting." Cain wrote:
"Why would anyone ever willingly come down off their throne that they’ve spent years building off the suffering of their fellow man?"
The 26-year-old musician continued:
"Nobody is getting visited by the ghost of Christmas future, no one is having a change of heart. It’s simple, you make them fear for their lives and hit them in the only place they hurt or nothing will ever get done."
She concluded her message by suggesting that "sometimes" violence was the answer.
Last month, Luigi Mangione fatally shot Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan and fled the scene. Officials investigating Thompson's murder found shell casings with the words "Deny," "Delay," and "Depose" written on them, terms allegedly used by insurance companies to deny claims.
The incident has sparked a discourse on the condition of the health insurance industry in the United States. Many online have hailed Mangione as a hero for fighting systemic oppression against the poor.
Slamming Ethel Cain's IG stories that called out CEOs, The Big Weekend Show panelist Guy Benson called her message "sick" and "depraved." He explained:
"The message there is violence is the answer. You know who used that exact same mentality, that type of language? Terrorists. That is actual terrorism, what she’s talking about here."
Jackie DeAngelis later called for a boycott of Ethel Cain, while Anita Vogel described her stories as "absurd" and "gross."
Cain has not publicly reacted to Fox News' call for a boycott.