WARNING: This article contains sexual and explicit language and may be triggering for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
UPDATE: 10 a.m. ET — Following an influx of hate mail and death threats from Chris Brown supporters targeted towards Chvrches, the band has reportedly decided to increase security levels at its shows.
Singer Lauren Mayberry, revealed her concerns of safety on Monday while detailing the gruesome threats over social media.
“We have to have the police at our shows now,” added Mayberry, 31. “If that’s what I deserve for saying mainstream music should be more morally conscious, then so be it.”
Over the weekend, she posted a screenshot of one of the threats made towards her on Instagram. It read: “I hope Tyga rapes you, then Chris Brown beats the s**t out of you, then R. Kelly comes and p**ses on your white a**.”
During Chvrches’ set at Fortress Festival in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, Mayberry claimed to the audience that the over-the-top threats made by Brown’s supporters prove what kind of a person he is.
“We were like, ‘Maybe don’t promote serial-convicted violence to kids… to young people,'” she said. “And they were like, ‘Well, you know what we’re going to do? We’re going to rape you and shoot you.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, you kinda proved the point though.’ So, in a way, I’m like, ‘Thanks.'”
The singer added that Chvrches spoke out against Marshmello because he went against their morals by working with alleged sexual abusers. “Chvrches is a brand that people can buy into,” she said. “It has to be honest and it has to be authentic.”
“We would be really hypocritical if we worked with somebody and didn’t say anything about what they did,” concluded Mayberry.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift shatters YouTube records with ‘Me!’
—
ORIGINAL STORY:
After Chvrches questioned Marshmello‘s decision to collaborate with Chris Brown and Tyga on last week’s single, Light it Up, Brown, 29, lashed out against the Scottish indie pop band.
The Leave a Trace hitmakers — who collaborated with Marshmello, 26, on Here with Me in March — posted a message to Instagram expressing their disappointment with Marshmello after partnering up with the hip-hop stars.
“We are really upset, confused and disappointed by Marshmello’s choice to work with Tyga and Chris Brown,” wrote the group last Thursday.
Both musicians have been accused of sexual misconduct on numerous occasions.
“We like and respect Mello as a person, but working with people who are predators and abusers enables, excuses and ultimately tacitly endorses that behaviour. That is not something we can or will stand behind,” the band continued.
Shortly after, Brown leaped to defend himself by replying to the post with a lengthy comment comparing the band’s success to his own.
“Bunch of losers,” he began. “These are the type of people I wish walked in front of a speeding bus full of mental patients.”
READ MORE: ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ followup special coming to Lifetime
“You aren’t even #2 (remember, 2nd place only means you lost first),” he wrote. “Ta-ta. Goodday, peasants.”
Tyga, 29, also responded.
The energy was not kept positive, however — at least for Chrvches’ leading lady, Lauren Mayberry.
Mayberry, 31, was targeted online by a large number of Brown’s fans. She later posted a number of screenshots of verbally abusive messages she had received through Instagram.
“Learn to keep Chris Brown’s name out of your gutter trailer trash a** mouth, stupid racist white b***h,” read a portion of one of the hateful messages.
“The last ‘b***h’ really helped get the point across,” Mayberry wrote sarcastically in her screenshot.
“Angry men on the internet can call me all the names they want,” she continued. “I still think domestic abuse is wrong. Peace out, internet. Tomorrow is a brand-new day.”
READ MORE: Britney Spears posts message to fans amid mental health rumours
As a result of his collaboration with Brown and Tyga, Marshmello is under fire from thousands of his dedicated fans over social media.
Many of those individuals have also defended Chvrches, ultimately questioning why the DJ would choose to work with alleged abusers.
Here’s what some Twitter users had to say:
https://twitter.com/pavlito_/status/1122880114306498560
https://twitter.com/Sacredsleepedm/status/1122885926118510592
As of this writing, Marshmello has responded to neither Chvrches’ comments nor the mass influx of online criticism.
WATCH: Singer Chris Brown reportedly arrested in Paris on rape allegations
READ MORE: Chris Brown plans to sue rape accuser for slander, says his lawyer
In the last decade, both Brown and Tyga have been faced with a series of sexual abuse allegations and subsequent legal issues.
Brown has been in repeated legal trouble since pleading guilty to the felony assault in 2009 of his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He completed his probation in that case in 2015 but has continued to have run-ins with police.
Most recently, Brown was accused of raping a woman in January. He was detained with two other associates in Paris. He later revealed that he was planning to sue the 29-year-old accuser for slander.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. You can also reach the centre toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
Comments