Celebrity brand ambassadors represent a sure way of getting increased attention with a new launch, but the downside is that they have a huge platform for complaints in case something goes bad. Take Meek Mill and GMC as an example.
Early last month, the rapper took to social media to inform his fans that he had crashed his brand-new Hummer EV on his very first drive. He didn't give too many details about what happened, except to say that he was ok and that the "brake pedal slipped off," but he managed to get his point across: his first real-world experience with the Hummer EV had been bad.
As it turns out, it was much worse than hinted. In light of the Cybertruck recall, Meek Mill went online on social media to ask what the deal with the recall was. His own experience with Tesla, he said, was a positive one, and he found all the Tesla EVs he's ever owned to be very safe.
The first time he tried something other than Tesla, meaning the Hummer EV from GMC, he was almost killed. He also says the Hummer EV is totaled and that he "got hurt bad."
Photo: Instagram/Meek Mill (Composite)
If the allegations he made in the next post are accurate, the accident was very severe. Meek Mill claims that several serious malfunctions happened at the same time when he got behind the wheel of his Hummer EV, sending it barreling into a brick wall. When that happened, he had only had the car in his possession for four hours.
The rapper claims that the brake pedal came off completely and that the car rolled by itself even though it was in park. He also says that the sensors weren't working, so no safety feature was engaged. Perhaps worst of all, the airbag didn't deploy, so he ended up with a serious concussion.
"First day I bought this car... no air bags … brake pedal came off … with door open no safety effects … no laser censor [sic] working … this knocked me out bad, I was in park and the car started pulling off! I had this car for 4hrs maximum," the rapper writes.
The video he included with this post shows the massive SUV slammed into the wall, and there's a piece of rubber-clad metal on the floor, which he claims is a section of the brake pedal that came off during the mishap.
Whether Meek Mil was trying to vent or get the attention of GMC, we can't tell, but he's definitely secured the latter. Whoever handles the automaker's account on the socials reached out to the rapper with an invite to share the specifics in a DM (direct message), but it seems that he's ignored it on three separate occasions so far.
Ironically, Meek Mill served as celebrity ambassador for GMC during the "Hummer House" launch event for the 2024 GMC HUMMER EV3X Omega Edition, which took place during the Miami Grand Prix in May last year.
First day I bought this car no air bags … brake pedal came off … with door open no safety effects … no laser censor working … this knocked me out bad, I was in park and the car started pulling off! I had this car for 4hrs maximum pic.twitter.com/dxm11kyUzu
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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