New Tina Turner Statue Slammed as ‘an Abomination’: ‘She Deserves Better’
A new 10-foot bronze statue of rock and roll icon Tina Turner was unveiled in Brownsville, Tennessee, her hometown, during the annual Tina Turner Heritage Days celebration.Sculpted by Fred Ajanogha over nearly a year in Atlanta, the statue depicts Turner in a mini-skirt and high heels, holding a microphone wiht her finger extended, and features a lion-like mane hairstyle. While local attendees praised the tribute, social media users criticized the statue’s likeness as disrespectful and inadequate compared to Turner’s legacy. The project was supported by around 50 donors, including a $150,000 contribution from Ford Motor company. Tina Turner, who passed away in May 2023 at age 83 after a long illness, was celebrated for hits like “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
A new Tina Turner statue left fans of the rock ’n’ roll icon scratching their heads: What’s love got to do with it?
In Brownsville, Tennessee, where Turner grew up, city officials unveiled the 10-foot statue in Heritage Park on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
The statue features Turner in a mini-skirt and high heels, while holding a microphone with her index finger out, as she sometimes held the device.
But perhaps the salient detail about the statue was its hairdo, or Turner’s hairdo as sculptor Fred Ajanogha saw it.
Ajanogha reportedly compared Turner’s locks to the “mane of a lion.”
A 10-foot statue of rock n’ roll queen Tina Turner was unveiled in the rural Tennessee community where she grew up https://t.co/q8PMF94W7l pic.twitter.com/ItmAtzrTO6
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 29, 2025
The Brownsville Chamber of Commerce unveiled the art piece during its annual Tina Turner Heritage Days celebration.
While spectators at the event applauded, social media users were critical.
“This statue is disrespectful to Tina Turner. She deserves better,” one user wrote on the social media platform X.
This statue is disrespectful to Tina Turner. She deserves better. https://t.co/bVuyDXB3Y2
— Kaye (@LambilyPYT) September 30, 2025
“What they did to Tina is an abomination. Same with the Tom Brady statue. Are there no sculptors who can actually make a real likeness anymore?” another X user wrote.
What they did to Tina is an abomination. Same with the Tom Brady statue. Are there no sculptors who can actually make a real likeness anymore? https://t.co/Q542Qg2i02
— Mave McGillicuty (@MMcgillicuty) September 30, 2025
The bronze statue, which Ajanogha sculpted in Atlanta, took nearly a year to complete.
One woman traveled from Georgia just to see it unveiled.
“She’s a great artist, I love her music,” Karen Cook said of Turner. “My mom listened to her a lot. It’s a big deal and a great thing for the community to have Tina Turner in her small town.”
Donors, of which there were about 50, included the Ford Motor Co., which gave $150,000 for the project, according to the AP.
Turner was 83 when she died after “a long illness” in May 24, 2023, according to PBS.
In 2016, she announced that she had dealt with intestinal cancer, according to Today.
Before her death, she also underwent a kidney transplant and suffered a stroke. She had also reportedly suffered from high blood pressure for decades.
Some of her most popular songs included “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits,” and “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
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