DUBAI: UK singer-songwriter Dua Lipa has responded to reports that she fired one of her agents after he tried to stop the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap from performing at Glastonbury, calling the claims “deliberately inflammatory” and “completely false.”
David Levy was allegedly among music industry figures who signed a leaked letter urging Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis to drop the pro-Palestine group from the bill of this year’s festival.
Mail Online claimed that Lipa parted ways with Levy after learning about the letter. However, the British-Albanian pop star’s agency WME has called the story “categorically false” and clarified that Levy stopped working with Lipa in 2019.
In her own statement, shared on Instagram Stories, Lipa wrote: “I do not condone the actions of David Levy or other music executives toward an artist speaking their truth. I also cannot ignore how this has been handled in the press.
“Not only was the story completely false but the language used by the Daily Mail has been deliberately inflammatory, crafted purely for clickbait, clearly designed to fuel online division.”
She added: “It is always Free Palestine but exploiting a global tragedy in order to sell newspapers is something I find deeply troubling.”
WME said in a statement: “Reports suggesting that Dua Lipa or her management dismissed one of our agents because of his political views are categorically false.”
Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury went ahead in June, despite politicians calling for the band to be dropped from the bill.
One of the trio, who goes under the name “Mo Chara,” has been charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying a flag representing Hezbollah at a gig last year. The musician denies the charge.
