NOTE: This article contains sexually graphic language and disturbing content. Please read at your own discretion.
Following her appearance on the Season 15 finale of NBC’s The Voice in 2018, Halsey, the American pop singer, became subject to a large amount of criticism online.
During the performance, the openly bisexual musician danced with her longtime backup dancer Jade Chynoweth to her smash-hit single WIthout Me.
The steamy and highly suggestive performance prompted many angered viewers to hurl offensive and overtly homophobic comments towards Halsey. Many even threatened to rape or kill her.
In response to the hate-fueled messages, Halsey tweeted out saying: “Very proud of the emotional performance i did with Jade Chynoweth on The Voice tonight. And also very proud to have p**sed off the homophobic viewers at home who missed the message. Thanks for watching,” she concluded.
Though the 25-year-old previously addressed the backlash of her performance, she opened up about the threats she received once again during an interview with the Times last Sunday.
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“People were going, ‘What is this lesbian garbage on my TV?'” said Halsey. “My phone number leaked, my email leaked,” she added.
The Nightmare singer added that strangers began texting some “heinous stuff,” including the death threats and other sexually aggressive comments like “I’m going to rape you straight.”
Though she said there have been many “performances by other artists that are way more sexual” than hers on The Voice, Halsey admitted to her beliefs that children and young adults should be subject to more sexually explicit content in order to figure out their sexuality at an early age.
She said, “Here’s what’s important: the young people sitting on the couch next to that angry dad, that angry mom, hearing them spewing hatred, (or) the kid that’s scared to come out… (they) need to see that on the TV.”
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During the interview, Halsey also spoke about how defeated and vulnerable she felt following a speech she made at the 2018 Women’s March, where she openly discussed her past experiences of sexual abuse and violence.
Furthermore, Halsey admitted that her upcoming third studio album, Manic, would be taking on a heavily feminist approach. “Female rage is a very tight subject for me right now,” she admitted.
Manic is set for a Jan. 17, 2020 release, and features the already-released singles, Without Me, Graveyard, and Clementine.
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.
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