John Dolmayan, the drummer for System of a Down, has criticized Kanye West for lacking decorum following West’s Instagram posts featuring his wife, Bianca Censori. On the occasion of Censori’s 29th birthday, 46-year-old West took to social media to share several posts in her honor. In his initial post, West expressed his deep affection and admiration for Censori, praising her beauty, intelligence, talent in architecture, and her supportive nature, especially when many had turned against him. He also acknowledged her role as a wonderful stepmother to their children and expressed gratitude for her presence in his life.
One particular post by West, showing Censori alone in revealing attire with a prompt for a caption, caught Dolmayan’s attention. Dolmayan publicly expressed his disapproval, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating dignity and respect, particularly as a parent. He argued that a wife should be a symbol of pride and dignity, not just a trophy, and that West’s approach was inappropriate.
Dolmayan’s criticism garnered significant attention, with nearly 600 responses and heated debates ensuing. He further defended his stance in a response to a commenter, questioning if they would share similar pictures of their wife, highlighting a fundamental difference in values and perspectives.
Dolmayan himself is not new to controversy, especially regarding his political views. In 2020, he openly criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, dismissing it as illegitimate and a tool for Democratic party propaganda. That same year, he used an Instagram post wishing Donald Trump a happy birthday to label Trump’s political adversaries as bigots.
In 2023, Dolmayan disclosed through Instagram that his vocal posts had cost him hundreds of thousands of fans and estranged him from many acquaintances. Despite this, he remained defiant, stating he would not hesitate to express his opinions again.