Celebrities once linked to Louis Farrakhan
Stars like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Chelsea Handler, 2 Chainz and Aretha Franklin have been linked to the controversial Nation of Islam leader
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is known for stirring controversy due to his past anti-Semitic remarks and anti-White theology, but it's no secret he's held court with some of the nation's most influential and famous figures.
The 86-year-old minister has led a chant of "death to America" and called for a separate state for Black Americans. Last year, Farrakhan was among several far right or "hate" figures that Facebook permanently banned.
Farrakhan's disputed beliefs made headlines again on Friday as sources identified the suspect in the attack at the U.S. Capitol as 25-year-old Noah Green, who claimed he was a follower of Farrakhan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A look at Farrakhan's past reveals the minister has rubbed shoulders with celebrities over the years, some of whom later retracted their support.
CHELSEA HANDLER DEFENDS LOUIS FARRAKHAN POST, THEN APOLOGIZES: 'I WAS WRONG'
Chelsea Handler issued an apology in June 2020 after she defended remarks from Farrakhan. (Toni Anne Barson/WireImage)
Last June, comedian Chelsea Handler publicly apologized after she defended praising remarks Farrakhan made in an interview on "The Phil Donahue Show."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I learned a lot from watching this powerful video," Handler told her nearly 4 million Instagram followers at the time.
Then, Handler, who is Jewish, doubled down on her opinion, again on the Daily Beast’s "The Last Laugh" podcast.
"I thought his message was really powerful," Handler said, according to Mediaite. "I wasn’t thinking about the anti-Semitic thing, but I don’t want to take down the thing because I felt the message was powerful and a lot of people did, and it was powerful for me the way he spelled it out. That Black people don’t have a history of killing White people."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former late-night host declared in her position that everybody "can go f--- themselves," but following the podcast interview, the former "Chelsea Lately" host issued an apology to the Daily Beast and went on to delete her Instagram post.
CAPITOL ATTACK SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS LOUIS FARRAKHAN FOLLOWER, NOAH GREEN
"I want to sincerely apologize for posting the video of Louis Farrakhan," she said in the note. "I didn’t consider the context of his anti-Semitic and homophobic rhetoric, that is of course contrary to my own beliefs and values."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were once photographed with the controversial Nation of Islam founder. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Additionally, a photo shared by BET shows rapper CyHi da Prynce, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian alongside Farrakhan. In a now-deleted Instagram post, CyHi da Prynce said he was "honored" by "the words he spoke to us," according to the New York Post.
In 2018, Farrakhan's presence at a funeral service for music icon Aretha Franklin didn't go unnoticed. He sat on the pulpit at the service, which was also attended by former President Bill Clinton, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and featured performances by Faith Hill and Ariana Grande.
Additionally, Farrakhan has appeared on Charlamagne Tha God's radio program "The Breakfast Club." According to the Post, Farrakhan was happy to appear on the show because he believed it would help him reach a younger audience.
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In 2015, rapper The Game also met with Farrakhan in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March. According to BET, The Game posted a photo on Instagram of his meeting with the minister, which has since been deleted.
"Spent the early part of my day with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan getting a bit of spiritual enlightenment as well as preparation for our march on Washington, D.C.," he reportedly captioned the picture. "This October 10th 2015 for the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March.... This time we're coming for #JusticeOrElse."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The outlet also shared several photos of the minister with other notable hip-hop stars, including Young Thug, Mos Def, Jay Electronica, Ty Dolla $ign, Thugga, Migos and 2 Chainz.
Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan delivers a speech and talks about U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Watergate Hotel, on November 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
On Friday, Green allegedly slammed his sedan into two police officers near the Capitol’s North Barricade, the entrance where members of Congress and their aides come and go.
The attack killed Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans and injured another officer, who was hospitalized Friday evening in stable condition.
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Sources told Fox News it appeared to be a "lone wolf" attack and that the suspect identified himself on Facebook as a Nation of Islam follower who recently lost his job.
A Facebook profile matching that description has been taken down by the social media giant, but Fox News reviewed a number of posts and images before that happened. The page included photos and videos of Nation of Islam rallies, and the bio identified Green as "Follower of Farrakhan."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Julius Young contributed to this report.