Sen. Ted Cruz was compelled to delete a social media post honoring the late country music star Dolly Parton after a user altered their display name following the senator's tribute.
Cruz, 55, had taken to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to share a clip of Parton appearing on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1979. He captioned the post "Legend" and included several emojis.
However, the user who originally posted the clip subsequently changed their display name to an offensive phrase. This altered name was visible when Cruz's post was displayed. The user then responded to Cruz's retweet, making a pointed comment about his past political actions.
Prior to the user reverting their display name, Cruz deleted his tribute post entirely. Images of the exchange circulated on social media, with many users noticing the altered name and speculating on whether Cruz had realized the situation before retweeting.
Dolly Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death at the age of 80 on Tuesday, stating that she had expressed her wishes for his care years prior. Seaver described his aunt as someone who "lived in the light" and was now with her late husband and other family members in heaven. Parton died after being admitted to Nashville's Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center for autoimmune and kidney issues. The singer, known for hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5," had a career spanning six decades.