Pop star Ella Langley has come under fire after an old Facebook picture of her posing with dead animals resurfaced on social media.
The country singer, who had a breakout moment this year with her chart-topping single Choosin’ Texas, has shared multiple posts over the years tracing back to her pre-fame days as a hunting hobbyist in Alabama.
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In one Facebook photo from 2018, Langley is seen smiling as she holds the head of a dead deer, while another from 2020 shows her posing with a fresh kill alongside the caption: “a wild story we’ll remember forever”.
In a third post, Langley grips the antlers of a deer and says proudly in the caption, “finally put one down this afternoon”.
The posts quickly sparked backlash on social media, with scores of animal rights activists enraged by Langley’s hunting trips. “That’s really unfortunate, I hope she addresses it and learns from the past,” one user wrote on Instagram.
“She’s disgusting,” another said, with a third adding “this is simply awful”.
“This isn’t a sport, it’s straight up murder and blatant animal cruelty,” another user said.
On the opposing end, others said the posts came as no shock given Langley’s upbringing in the American South, where hunting is a major cultural tradition and pastime.
“Had to come find this post and show it some love,” one supporter wrote, while others offered their “congratulations” for successful hunts or said the hobby is “awesome”.
“Nice wholesome sport, you get to spend time with family and friends while hunting,” a fan wrote.
Langley has not responded to the controversy, but it’s not the first time she has grabbed headlines this year.
In August, she playfully responded to a viral clip of fellow musician Doja Cat not knowing who she was by writing in her own Instagram caption: “Ella Langley? What is that?”
Also this year, Langley was the most-awarded artist at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Langley’s country track Choosin’ Texas spent a whopping 24 weeks atop the Billboard charts this year, dethroned only by Taylor Swift’s Patient Zero, which was released last month.