Iggy Azalea is having a rough spring.
The "Fancy" rapper canceled her show at Pittsburgh Pride after receiving backlash from the LGBT community. "This has been a difficult decision as I truly support the event and LGBTIQA communities, however I feel my participation at this point would only serve to further distract from the true purpose of the event," Iggy wrote in a statement.
"I am a firm believer in equality," she continued. "Unfortunately in the past as a young person, I used words I should not have. The last thing I want is for something so carelessly said to be interpreted as reflective of my character. I meant no harm and deeply regret ever uttering those words," the statement continues. "As an adult I would never use them because I understand they play a detrimental role in the fight for issues that I do truly believe in. I am sorry to anyone I have offended or disappointed & I wish all my fans and friends participating in Pride the best of luck."
Ever since Iggy was announced as a headliner for the event, there have been several "high-profile" boycotts in Pittsburgh, according to the
Pittsburgh City Paper. The music star landed in hot water with the LGBT community after Tweets she wrote years ago resurfaced, showing her casually using the words "homo" and "dyke." Those tweets first came to light in 2013, according to
Billboard.
The Delta Foundation, which chose Iggy for the event also released a statement, saying, "Since our initial announcement, we have been working very closely with Ms. Azalea's management, publicists and agent regarding the concerns of some of our community. Pittsburgh Pride is about our community and allies coming together and showing how diverse and accepting we are as a city."
"Over the years, we have seen many hearts and minds change including support for marriage equality, treating all with dignity and respect and most recently the support for Caitlyn Jenner," the statement continued. "We're sorry that our headliner choice caused a division within our community but we believe that change happens through conversation. We are meeting with key LGBT leaders to start a discussion that will make our collective community even stronger."
Delta is currently working on booking another artist for the event, which they hope to announce soon. News of Iggy's cancellation comes after she
had to cancel her "Great Escape Tour" last month and after
thousands of people protested to get her
Billboard Music Awards taken back from her days before that.