'fight the stigma'

Dua Lipa “horrified” by homophobic remarks from collaborator, DaBaby

DaBaby and Dua Lipa in the video for 'Levitating'
DaBaby and Dua Lipa in the video for ‘Levitating’ (Image: YouTube)

British singer Dua Lipa has spoken out against remarks made by one of her recent collaborators, DaBaby.

As we reported yesterday, rapper DaBaby (real name Jonathan Lyndale Kirk) has found himself the center of controversy following remarks he made at a concert in Miami on Sunday night.

Appearing at the Rolling Loud Festival, the 29-year-old rapper encouraged people to wave their cellphone lights in the air, but only, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV/AIDS or other STDs that’ll make you die in 2-3 weeks” and “Fellas, if you didn’t suck a n**** d*** in the parking lot.” Footage of the performance was shared by TMZ.

Talking further about HIV, he made the hugely inaccurate claim that the virus will “make you die in two or three weeks.” With treatment, most people with HIV are expected to live a normal lifespan.

Related: Rapper DaBaby trashes gay fans, HIV patients in unhinged rant

His comments have been slammed for health advocates, who say people with HIV already have to contend with a huge amount of stigma and misinformation.

DaBaby went on to dig himself into a deeper hole on Monday. Responding to the backlash, he posted a video saying, “What I do at the live show is for the audience at the live show. It’ll never translate to somebody looking at a five, six-second clip.”

He also said he appreciated having straight and gay fans, but that his gay fans do not have AIDS, as that’s a disease for people who are “nasty” and “junkies on the street” and “Even my gay fans got standards.”

DaBaby is currently at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 as a guest artist on Dua Lipa’s hit, ‘Levitating’.

Yesterday, Dua Lipa posted a message to her Instagram stories. The simple text on a black background read: “I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments.

“I really don’t recognise this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

DaBaby currently has a clothing collaboration with online retailer BooHoo. It told the BBC it condemned his comments.

“Boohoo condemns the use of homophobic language and [we] are reviewing the relationship with DaBaby. We pride ourselves on representing the diverse customers we serve across the globe.”

Related: Dua Lipa cried on stage as LGBTQ fans forcibly removed by police

Yesterday, in a further attempt to address the upset he’d caused, DaBaby finally offered up an attempt at an apology via Twitter.

“Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾 But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”

Elton John was among other figures to criticize DaBaby. Posting to Instagram today, the rock legend said: “We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.⁣”

 

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