Thomas Rhett is taking a break from Instagram for a while due to the amount of negativity and criticism he's recently received on the app. On Tuesday (December 15), the singer turned to his Instagram Story to announce his decision with fans and briefly explain why he is stepping back.
"Gonna hop off Instagram for a little while," he wrote. "Too much negativity on an app I spend too much time on. I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy holiday. Much love, TR."
The message came just days after he and his wife Lauren Akins received criticism for going on a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with friends. Rhett first shared a collection of photos from their getaway on Sunday (December 13), including a shot of him with his wife, one of his fishing adventures, and another of a sea lion. "Thanks for the good times Cabo," he captioned the post.
Akins later posted a slideshow that included a group photo with friends, photos with her husband, and several pictures taken on the water. "Thanks to a very kind friend, we got to go to Cabo, meet my new bestie (the goofiest sea lion named Poncho💙), eat fresh ahi tuna that we just caught and watch beautiful sunsets with sweet friends," she wrote.
The couple's post led a number of people to criticize them for traveling with a group amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Wow, what a completely tone deaf post," one person commented on Akins' post. "Must be nice to just ignore CDC guidance to NOT travel to Mexico due to heightened Covid," another user added.
"I do have to agree with those who are wondering why you are traveling during a pandemic and with a bunch of people... it looks amazing but is also disappointing to those who are doing everything possible to stay safe and keep others safe," a third person wrote.
While Rhett has decided to take a step back from Instagram, Akins has not yet addressed the negativity.
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