Miley Cyrus has reached out to DaBaby, according to her Instagram post, to “see how we can learn from each other and help be part of making a more just and understanding future.” Her message to the rapper comes after several festivals have nixed him from lineups following homophobic remarks he made at Miami’s Rolling Loud.
“As a proud and loyal member of the LGBTQIA+ community, much of my life has been dedicated to encouraging love, acceptance, and open mindedness,” she shared on Instagram. She pointed out the internet has fueled cancel culture, but it is also a place for “education, conversation, communication & connection.”
The reaction to DaBaby’s Rolling Loud comments that surfaced after his appearance on July 25th was swift. Fellow artists, including Elton John, Madonna, Questlove and Dua Lipa criticized the rapper shortly after. Meanwhile, DaBaby offered some pseudo apologies while also doubling down on his stance via a music video that included the words, “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
By Sunday, DaBaby was dropped from Lollapalooza mere hours before his headlining set. Several festivals followed suit, including Austin City Limits, iHeartRadio, Governors Ball, Day N Vegas, and Music Midtown. He had previously been bumped from Can’t Wait: Live! benefit concert and Parklife Festival.
In the midst of the flurry of cancelled festival appearances, DaBaby issued another apology, this time to the LGBTQ+ community specifically “for the hurtful and triggering comments I made.” He also apologized again for his “misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important.”
“It’s easier to cancel someone than to find forgiveness and compassion in ourselves or take the time to change hearts and minds,” Cyrus concluded in her post on Wednesday. “There’s no more room for division if we want to keep seeing progress! Knowledge is power! I know I still have so much to learn!”
On Wednesday, organizations dedicated to helping people with HIV also issued an open letter to DaBaby, requesting that he participate in a private meeting to discuss the facts about HIV, how it’s a preventable and treatable condition, and how he might be able to serve as a long-term advocate for this cause and help end the stigma around HIV.
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From Rolling Stone US
