Tina Arena receives backlash after revealing she deliberately broke Covid lockdown rules

Tina Arena has incited anger after admitting she deliberately broke Covid lockdown rules to resist what she called a ‘totalitarian’ system. 

The Australian singer, 55, made the comments during an interview with The Weekend Australian, and revealed she broke the 5km rule, which advised citizens not to travel more than 5kms from home unless necessary. 

‘Why can’t you drive more than five kilometres? Guess what – watch me. So I did. I drove past my five kilometres. Am I a criminal now? You want to pull me up? Pull me up. You want to fine me? Fine me. I’m not the one with the issue here,’ she said. 

‘The issue is, there is no logic. You have no right to do that. You are fining me. This is totalitarian. We don’t work like that.’ 

 Tina went on to claim that she was the only person who took issue with lockdowns. 

‘I didn’t hear anybody complaining ­during lockdown other than me: “Why are we locked up? Where’s your science? What? Why?” The fear was so much for me; it was choking me, I was like, I can’t cope with all of you being so fear-driven like this, and compliant,’ she said. 

The article was widely shared on Twitter, with many weighing in on what they called the singer’s ‘selfish’ choice. 

‘Tina Arena is just the Pete Evans of Music,’ wrote one person, referring to the disgraced television chef who was criticised for his antivaxxer views. 

‘Tina Arena – just another ignorant, selfish, fearful individual who was unwilling to comply with lockdown orders at the height of a deadly pandemic before vaccines were available. Yes ‘deadly’! I have zero sympathy for those who blatantly ignored the restrictions,’ said another.

‘Why can’t you drive more than five kilometres? Guess what – watch me. So I did. I drove past my five kilometres. Am I a criminal now? You want to pull me up? Pull me up. You want to fine me? Fine me. I’m not the one with the issue here,’ she said

‘I was dealing with a brain tumour diagnosis, brain surgery without my family and friends being able to visit me and then rehab to recover my balance, speech and movement during lockdown. I have no time for Tina’s whinging,’ wrote one person. 

‘Tina Arena’s self indulgent narcissism is astounding, does she think she was the only person feeling fearful, locked up and battling mental health issues during the pandemic. Boasting about floating the restrictions, complaining and moaning about her circumstances,’ said another. 

Someone else tweeted: ”I can’t cope with you all being so fear driven and compliant’. Seems never to have occurred to her that it might not have been fear driving us. The notion of being unselfish has apparently not crossed her mind.’ 

Another chimed in: ‘Most of us weren’t wallowing in self pity, we were just doing what we needed to do to keep our families safe.’

The article was widely shared on Twitter, with many weighing in on what they called the singer’s ‘selfish’ choice

Others noted that Arena has homes in both Melbourne and France, and could have left Australia if she was unhappy with the rules. 

‘Tina Arena could always have remained in France, her home for decades. Oh, wait, they had lockdowns too….’ suggested one person. 

‘Very selfish of Tina Arena. Hundreds of healthcare workers were f***ing exhausted, people with disabilities and severe health conditions were (and still are) living in fear of getting sick and she decided the rules wouldn’t apply to her. Very disappointing,’ yet someone else wrote. 

Not everyone was angered by her comments, with one person tweeting that Arena was a ‘legend’ and another stating they’d she’d won a new ‘fan’. 

Not everyone was angered by her comments, with one person tweeting that Arena was a ‘legend’ and another stating they’d she’d won a new ‘fan’