Bruce Springsteen fan club founders say political fights, El-Sayed endorsement led to shutdown: report

The “Spring-Nuts” Facebook group, a fan club for Bruce Springsteen with 18,000 members, has ceased operations due to increasing political divisiveness among its members. Founders cited Springsteen’s public stances and his endorsement of Michigan’s senator-elect, Abdul El-Sayed, as key factors that led to hateful rhetoric and personal attacks, making it impossible to maintain a harmonious community focused on music.
The group’s founders, Julie and Howie Chaz, stated that while they respected Springsteen’s right to express his political views, the ensuing online discourse devolved into bullying and vile rhetoric, particularly after Springsteen’s endorsement of El-Sayed, which they found deeply disappointing given El-Sayed’s association with individuals who made antisemitic statements.
Despite the closure of the “Spring-Nuts” group, the founders expressed immense gratitude for Springsteen’s music and the joy it has brought them, emphasizing that his music will always be a significant part of their lives and that the group will rebrand to focus on music in general.

• The “Spring-Nuts” Facebook group, dedicated to Bruce Springsteen, has shut down after over a decade.
• Founders cited increasing political divisiveness and hateful online discourse among the 18,000 members as the primary reasons for closure.
• Bruce Springsteen’s public political stances and recent endorsement of Michigan’s senator-elect, Abdul El-Sayed, exacerbated tensions within the group.
• The endorsement of El-Sayed was particularly problematic for the founders, who are Jewish, due to El-Sayed’s association with an antisemitic streamer.
• The group administrators struggled to balance respecting Springsteen’s right to political expression with maintaining an ethical online community.
• The fan club will rebrand to focus on music in general, while the founders expressed deep gratitude for Springsteen’s music and its impact on their lives.