Yesterday news leaked that powerhouse vocalist Jennifer Holliday had agreed to perform for president elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration [click here if you missed that].
After first defending her decision, Jennifer officially backs out and apologizes to the LGBT community...
Defending her decision in the NY Times Jennifer first explained,
“I know everybody hates me now, but that shows we are all just hateful people now — we don’t even want to work together.”
“If it’s the end of everything for me, then it has to be the end of everything for me. I would hope that’s not how it ends up, but right now I would like to be a part of a welcoming part of America. If we’re only going to let Trump be the face of America, I say let’s not let him be the only face of America — someone else could stand and show a light of love or hope or forgiveness.”
“Are we saying that if there is anything that could be done for America in four or eight years or however long Trump is there, we’re not supposed to participate or help anybody?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we all be praying for the success of America? I would like to sing some hope and have my voice not be associated with some kind of label, but I guess that’s where we are now.”Hours later, after a huge backlash from her largest fanbase, the LGBT community, Jennifer apologized for her lapse in judgement with an open letter penned exclusively for The Wrap.
TO MY BELOVED LGBT COMMUNITY:
Please allow me this opportunity to speak to you directly and to explain why I originally made my decision to perform at the inauguration which was what I had thought would be my simply keeping in my tradition of being a “bi-partisan songbird” having sung for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush.
I was asked to sing a song for what was presented to me as the “Welcome Concert For The People”– in my mind I was reflecting on the past times of being asked to sing for presidents and I only focused on the phrase “For The People”… I thought, For America!
I was honestly just thinking that I wanted my voice to be a healing and unifying force for hope through music to help our deeply polarized country… Regretfully, I did not take into consideration that my performing for the concert would actually instead be taken as a political act against my own personal beliefs and be mistaken for support of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
In light of the information pointed out to me via the Daily Beast article on yesterday, my only choice must now be to stand with the LGBT Community and to state unequivocally that I WILL NOT PERFORM FOR THE WELCOME CONCERT OR FOR ANY OF THE INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES!
I sincerely apologize for my lapse of judgement, for being uneducated on the issues that affect every American at this crucial time in history and for causing such dismay and heartbreak to my fans.
Please know that I HEAR YOU and I feel your pain. The LGBT Community was mostly responsible for birthing my career and I am deeply indebted to you… You have loved me faithfully and unconditionally and for so many years you provided me with work even though my star had long since faded.
Thank you for communicating with me, I had no idea that I still meant so much to all of you.
Thank you for your posted comments both the good supportive ones as well as the ugly hurtful ones.
With LOVE & Appreciation,
JENNIFER HOLIDAY
“The Original DreamGirl”
