Pop singer John Legend has encouraged natives of Springfield, Ohio to embrace Haitian migrants and their 'dietary preferences' - in a recorded message from his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion.
The activist, who hails from the city of Springfield, delivered a lecture on social media after the city found itself in the spotlight over Donald Trump's recent unproven allegations about migrants eating pets.
Legend referenced the 'interesting man named Donald J. Trump' who repeated the spurious claims at Tuesday's presidential debate.
'So you might imagine there are some challenges with, you know, integrating a new population. New language, new culture, new dietary preferences. All kinds of reasons why they might be growing pains'.
He added: 'We had about 15,000 or so immigrants move to my town of 60,000,' Legend explains. 'Now you might say "wow that's a lot of people for a town that only had 60,000 before. That's a 25% increase. That is correct.'"
But Legend came under fire for preaching tolerance from of the safety of the $17.5 million West Coast mansion he shares with supermodel wife Chrissy Teigen.
'He's just like you. Except he doesn't live in Springfield. He lives in a multimillion dollar mansion in Beverly Hills,' one person wrote on social media.
'John Legend says the people of Springfield, Ohio should just accept the Haitians and their weird "dietary preferences," added another.
Later on in the statement, which was also posted as an op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch, Legend states: 'Nobody's eating cats. Nobody's eating dogs'.
The Grammy winner - who has a net worth of over $100 million - pleads for tolerance, stating: 'How about we love one another? I grew up in the Christian tradition we said to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and treat strangers as though they might be Christ'.
He then demands, while wearing a bathrobe, that people not 'spread hateful, xenophobic, racist lies' about the migrants.
Social media, including people from the area, were furious with what they saw as an out-of-touch celebrity trying to tell them how to deal with their problems from 2,200 miles away.
'You should totally listen to John Legend lecture you on his hometown of Springfield, and how 15,000 Haitian immigrants into a town of 60,000 is totally normal', one account wrote, accompanied by a video of Legend and Teigen showing off their lavish palace.
'@johnlegend tries to minimize the suffering of the Americans in Springfield by calling it simply "growing pains."'
Several called on Legend and Teigen to accept the migrants into their own home, which features an infinity pool with a slide, an outdoor kitchen, a garden and a play structure for their children, which they described in an interview last year as 'magical'.
'Ok, then let’s put a few hundreds Haitians to live with him. That’s equivalent to what these folks have to deal with now', demanded one person on social media.
'Why don’t you house some of this illegal immigrants in your huge privileged mansion? You are a part of the 1% Kamala wants to tax too. You cool with that? Come big guy. Take care of these migrants', added another before tagging Legend's wife.
Another went even harder: '[F]*** you another celebrity out of touch cannot relate to regular people one bit real Americans do not want to have to worry if their cats who are indoor outdoor are going to be sacrificed savagely killed because cats are a delicacy for them!!'
On Thursday morning, City Hall in Springfield, Ohio, was evacuated after a bomb threat was received. Police said the threat was sent via email to multiple agencies and media outlets.
Fulton Elementary School was also evacuated, the Springfield Police Department said.
Mayor Rob Rue said the sender identified themselves as a Springfield resident and mentioned frustration with city officials regarding Haitian immigration issues.
Springfield, Ohio, has become a flashpoint in the debate over immigration, after droves of Haitian migrants arrived in the city in 2020 to fill jobs vacancies.
Willing to do the blue-collar jobs locals were unenthusiastic about, the Haitians, who were already in the country legally, moved to the town.
Within a few years, 20,000 immigrants arrived, swelling Springfield's population, which was only 58,000 in 2020.
The Haitians had social security numbers and job permits, paid taxes, and lived in houses that were empty and boarded up as the town shrank.
However, their arrival put a strain on medical services and the education system.
Former president Donald Trump brought up the community during Tuesday's presidential debate, mentioning unfounded claims that the migrants have been eating people's pets.
His running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance, has also promoted the unconfirmed claims.
Officials in Springfield have tried to tamp down the misinformation by saying there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten. State leaders are trying to help address some of the real challenges facing the city.
One resident has claimed that Haitian migrants have been decapitating ducks in public parks and eating them.
The aggrieved man made the claim during a city commission meeting last month to address the influx of legal Haitian immigrants - which has revitalized the local economy, but also sparked controversy among locals.
Reports of migrants eating animals like ducks remain unconfirmed.
'In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,' the City of Springfield told DailyMail.com in a statement on Monday.
Bubbling tensions overflowed after a school bus crash caused by a Haitian immigrant veering into the wrong lane killed Aiden Clark, 11, on August 22 last year.
During the meeting with commissioners, a local woman pleaded with local officials to make some changes, after revealing that she is being driven out of her home of 45 years because of migrant activity.
'I'm done with what I'm seeing,' the woman said in a voice trembling with emotion. 'It is so unsafe in my neighborhood anymore.'
The resident, who gripped the sides of the lectern as she spoke, continued: 'I have the homeless that were trying to camp out, and I have made concessions with them.'
She said that she 'tried to help' these individuals, so that they would not try to 'squat' on her property.
'It is so unsafe,' she lamented. 'I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard screaming at me, throwing mattresses...[and] throwing trash in my front yard.'
'Look at me,' the unhappy resident said, gesturing toward herself. 'I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn't defend myself if I had to.'
Because of her fears, the woman revealed that her 'elderly' husband had decided that they would leave their home of 45 years.
Springfield Police have also dismissed claims the immigrants caused trouble, saying property crime was only up in line with national trends.
When Trump initially made his comments about migrants eating pets, ABC News debate moderator David Muir stepped in to say: 'I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio.
'And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals.'
