Eric Benét Criticizes Jelly Roll for Staying Silent on Politics at the 2026 Grammys: Emphasizes the Importance of Speaking Up as a Good Christian
In a recent Instagram video, R&B artist Eric Benét expressed strong criticism towards Jelly Roll, highlighting the country star’s lack of commentary on political issues during the 2026 Grammy Awards. Benét’s remarks have sparked discussions about artists’ responsibilities in addressing social justice issues.
Benét shared his thoughts in a video posted on Sunday, where he spoke candidly about Jelly Roll’s acceptance speech for Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken on February 1. “We all saw the Grammys and remember that moment where that Jelly Roll motherf—er [made] his speech,” he began. “Powerful speech, right? Holding the bible up in his hand, talking about what the Lord has done for him.”
The criticism came after Jelly Roll’s backstage interaction with reporters, where he declined to engage with pressing political questions, saying, “I’m just a dumb ol’ redneck, I keep my political views to myself.” Benét responded in his video, stating, “That n—a full of sh–. Never trust a person who will speak passionately and in great detail about love, but when it’s time to speak against hate, they ain’t got sh– to say.”
A representative for Jelly Roll has been contacted by Billboard for comment. Benét’s criticism follows a Grammy night in which Jelly Roll won three awards, coinciding with heightened public outrage over recent tragedies, including the fatal ICE shootings of Minnesotans Renee Good and Alex Pretti. When asked about these events, Jelly Roll expressed a disconnection, stating, “I hate to be an artist who’s that aloof, but I’m so disconnected from what’s happening.”
While Jelly Roll indicated he had much to share about political matters, he has not elaborated on those intentions in the weeks following the Grammys.
In a follow-up video posted on February 23, Benét addressed the backlash to his initial comments. He articulated his views on the moral responsibilities of artists, questioning, “If you claim to be a follower of Christ, how much research do you have to do to publicly say that raping, torturing and killing children is bad?” He concluded, “Jesus gave you an open-book test on what it means to follow him: Shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and love thy neighbor.”
Viewers can watch Benét’s original video on his Instagram account.
