After criticism, Nicki Minaj has pulled out of a music festival in Saudi Arabia, citing her commitment to to women’s rights, LGBTQ communities and freedom of expression.
Minaj was scheduled to headline the Jeddah World Fest, a music and performance festival, on July 18.
Saudi Arabia is a conservative kingdom where people in some public places are segregated by gender and same-sex relationships are criminalized.
I’m tired of my fans sending me DM’s saying they want to commit suicide. You guys will never know the things my fans express to me privately. It would break me if even one of my fans were arrested, or BEATEN for expressing themselves. God is LOVE. NO disrespect to the Saudi govt
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 9, 2019
I performed in Jamaica before & when i got off the stage I was surrounded by police with guns drawn. They were ready 2 take me to jail b/c they said I forgot to bleep a couple curses…. I could make one mistake & go to jail in a diff country where women have no rights. #FreeAsap
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 10, 2019
Ummm for the ppl in the back, I wasn’t saying Jamaica doesn’t have women’s rights. I gave an example of what happened in JA to explain how easy it would be to do one thing wrong in Saudia Arabia b/c I’m not aware of every single rule & be locked up. Everyone knows I love JA. STFU
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 10, 2019
This doesn’t make any sense. After the Sumfest performance in 2011 where she was fined $10 USD for using expletives on stage, she tweeted “I had the time of my life at Reggae Sumfest… Jamaica I fell in love tonight.”
Why is she comparing Jamaica to Saudi Arabia?
Nicki made a statement about her decision canceling the show in Saudi Arabia.
“While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”
