Kehlani Sparks Outrage with Bold Anti-Israel Remarks on Red Carpet!

R&B singer Kehlani made controversial comments on the red carpet for the American Music Awards just weeks after New York City Mayor Eric Adams canceled her Central Park concert over similar statements.

On the eve of the awards ceremony, the 30-year-old singer spoke with Variety about her position regarding the Israel-Palestine dispute. She reaffirmed her backing for an independent Palestinian state during the conversation.

The After Hours singer expressed that it should not be something difficult, nor should it draw such significant attention, nor should it be a reason for praise.

In such tragic circumstances where people are losing their lives in massive attacks, it ought to become as effortless as breathing to express, “This isn’t right, it shouldn’t be happening, perhaps we need to intervene,” she added, expressing her criticism towards the United States’ backing of Israel.

‘And we’re funding it so we should stop,’ Kehlani said, looking directly at the camera.

At that moment, the interviewer inquired if it’s appropriate for other famous personalities to voice their opinions on this matter.

‘Yeah, I said it a bunch,’ she said.

I strongly believe that our collective strength is greater than we realize, and unity makes things even stronger. I hope that this concept becomes clear to others at some stage.

‘But all I can say is “Free Palestine,”‘ she concluded. 

Previously, the singer has encountered criticism due to her stance during the conflict in Gaza, as certain individuals have accused her of promoting anti-Semitic opinions.

The opening scene of her music video, titled ‘Next 2 U’, displays the statement “Long live the uprising”, accompanied by dancers brandishing Palestinian flags.

The term “Intifada,” which means ‘uprising’ or ‘resistance’ in Arabic, is perceived by certain individuals as justifying violent actions against Jewish people.

Following the event, an invitation for Kehlani to perform at Cornell University’s annual Slope Day was withdrawn as the Ivy League institution stated that her presence had caused ‘a injection of divisiveness and disharmony’ in their celebration.

Since the announcement of Kehlani, I’ve noticed significant apprehension within our community. Many people are expressing feelings of anger, pain, and bewilderment, as Slope Day is set to host an artist who has publicly expressed antisemitic and anti-Israel views in their performances, videos, and social media posts, as President Michael Kotlikoff stated in a letter.

In our nation, every artist holds the freedom to convey controversial opinions. However, Slope Day stands for bringing our community together, rather than causing division.

On June 26, the performer was scheduled to be the main act for a Pride with Kehlani event at Central Park’s SummerStage, which is an annual series of free concerts held in various city parks.

However, it was recently disclosed that the concert will not take place as initially planned, due to worries raised by the mayor’s office.

In the Instagram post, the organization expressed a firm conviction that various forms of artistic expression should be freely explored.

Nevertheless, ensuring the safety and security of our attendees and performers is paramount. Consequently, due to these worries, we’ve decided to cancel the concert.

Kehlani responded on Instagram Stories by sharing the announcement, along with the phrase ‘lol.’

Her post contained a selfie, too, where the artist added this note: “By the way, I stumbled upon it on Instagram.

I’ve found a strong connection with my purpose, my work, my craft, and what I bring to the world. Moving on to my upcoming album now. Looking forward to seeing you in Los Angeles this weekend!

PEN America, an organization that champions artists’ right to free speech, labeled the decision as “cowardly.” In simpler terms, they believe the move was not brave or courageous.

The decision was observed to have been made following US Representative Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from the Bronx, criticizing Kehlani’s presence. He stated that it is inappropriate for the city to financially support or clean up antisemitism using public funds, as expressed in a post on X.

According to PEN America, it’s worrying to observe elected representatives misusing their positions to set limits on what can be expressed freely and forcing private companies to conform to these boundaries.

‘No one wins when politicians meddle to suppress artistic expression.’

However, Kayla Mamelak Altus, a representative of Adams, expressed gratitude towards the City Parks Foundation, the charitable organization responsible for SummerStage, for addressing their concerns.

‘We look forward to an exciting lineup of other performances this summer,’ she wrote in an email.

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2025-05-27 05:06