Robert F. Kennedy Jr. surprised the crowd — and many fans — after enlisting Jewel to perform at his Make America Health Again Inaugural Ball.
Jewel’s appearance was apparently a gift to Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, and was unexpected — Jewel was not previously included on the list of performers for the 2025 Inauguration events hosted on Monday, January 20, in celebration of President Donald Trump’s second term.
“We’re going to go out and make America healthy again,” Kennedy, 71, told the crowd at the inaugural MAHA ball held in Washington, D.C., according to a fan video shared via X.
Kennedy — who has been picked by Trump as his choice for the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — then revealed how Jewels’ impromptu performance came about.
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“I got a call from a woman, who is Cheryl’s favorite musical artist in her whole life, and she said to me, ‘I’m going to come and sing to the crowd tonight,’” Kennedy said, before telling the audience, “We have a special treat. Please welcome Jewel.”
Jewel, who didn’t publicly endorse either candidate in the 2024 presidential election, then took the stage to a room full of cheers.
“I am happy to be here,” the 50-year-old singer said. “I want to thank Bobby for sacrificing so much to make America healthy again. To start treating us like we’re a whole human. We’re a physical, mental and an emotional body.”
The musician noted that she chose to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” for the occasion because of what the song symbolizes.
“I think that it sums up the hope that founded America and that I think we’re all feeling again,” Jewel said before she sang the iconic song originally released by Judy Garland and written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
Jewel’s a cappella rendition brought a tear to Hines’ eyes, who was watching from the side of the stage.
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The Curb Your Enthusiasm actress, 59, was seen fanning herself while standing beside her husband and wiping away tears, according to an Instagram video from the event.
While Jewel is a longtime health advocate, especially when it comes to mental health, her performance was unexpected. While many fans appreciated her performance like a lot of the musicians who appeared on stage in honor of Trump’s return to office, she also received some backlash.
Jewel hasn’t publicly addressed her decision to sing at the MAHA gala, but Carrie Underwood, who performed “America the Beautiful” at the official inauguration ceremony, did respond to the online backlash she received.
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“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood, 41, said in a statement earlier this month. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Nelly, who took that stage at a separate inauguration event over the weekend, released his own statement, claiming, “This isn’t politics.”
He explained, “The politics, for me, it’s over. He won. He’s the president. He’s the commander-in-chief of what I would like to say is the best country in the world.”
