Influencer and podcast host Knowa De Baraso has weighed in on the ongoing controversy involving TLC singer Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas. De Baraso posted a series of Instagram stories that criticize the “misinformation within the Black community.” Thomas has since said that she shared them “by mistake.”
The posts, shared on Instagram on Saturday, come amid allegations that Chilli engaged with or reposted content linked to conspiracy theories involving former First Lady Michelle Obama and reports of political affiliations to President Donald Trump.
“Misinformation within the Black community”
In a series of Instagram stories, De Baraso criticized Chilli's statement on the allegations she has been facing over the repost of a conspiracy theory that Michelle Obama was not born female.
The repost video further claimed that the former first lady used to be registered to vote in Illinois as a guy. These conspiracy theories are well-liked among radical, right-wing online communities.
Defending herself, Chilli said, “I'm not very computer-savvy, so I'm looking for this repost button, and I see that all of these buttons are very, very close to each other, and clearly I was scrolling, and my thumb hit the repost button.”
{{/usCountry}}Defending herself, Chilli said, “I'm not very computer-savvy, so I'm looking for this repost button, and I see that all of these buttons are very, very close to each other, and clearly I was scrolling, and my thumb hit the repost button.”
{{/usCountry}}De Baraso wrote in one slide addressing her statements, “Chilli is an example of what I’ve been fighting against for years and years. Misinformation within the Black community.”
He criticized Chilli's reported donation to republican campaigns and wrote, “She probably thinks the Republican Party is the party of Black people. It's not.”
Read more: Kamala Harris speaks to Knowa De Baraso about 2026 midterms, Trump's ‘abuse of power’ and more
“Chilli voted for a scrub”
In subsequent posts, De Baraso referenced the idea of a political “party switch” following the Civil Rights era and cited funding initiatives under Joe Biden, including support for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
He also alleged Chilli “probably thinks Democrats don't care about Black People.” He dismissed these claims, arguing that such narratives are misleading.
De Baraso wrote, “If that were the case, Joe Biden wouldn't have tried to give $2 billion to Black farmers--an effort that was blocked by the Republican-controlled Supreme Court.”
Records from the Federal Election Commission also showed that Chilli gave more than $1000 to Republican fundraisers connected to Trump's 2024 reelection campaign.
Chilli wrote, addressing the political donations in the caption, stated she believed the money she was giving would assist in the combat of human trafficking and support veterans of the armed forces. She said, “I did not read the fine print.”
According to records, Chilli also donated $340.60 to the Trump National Committee JFC and $210.60 to WinRed, the payment processor for Republican campaign donations.
De Baraso criticized these donations and wrote, “Chilli voted for a scrub.”