Spike Lee has ditched plans to use Chrisette Michele‘s song for his new TV series after it was reported she is performing at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
The R&B singer, who scored a number one album with Epiphany and landed a Grammy for best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009, will reportedly be among the headliners in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (19Jan17) and Friday (20Jan).
According to the New York Daily News, the 34-year-old agreed to sing at the event last week (ends15Jan17), but wanted to keep it “a big secret” to avoid criticism.
However, after the news broke on Wednesday (18Jan17), the Epiphany singer experienced backlash from fans and celebrities alike.
In a post on photo-sharing social network Instagram, Spike shut down a potential collaboration between the pair on the TV adaptation of his 1986 hit movie She’s Gotta Have It.
“Good Morning Folks. I Wuz Sorry To Read That “Sistuh Girl” Is Singin’ At DT’s Inauguration (And To Use His Fav Word-SAD). I Wuz Thinkin’ ’bout Using Chrisette’s Song- BLACK GIRL MAGIC In My Netflix Series SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT…. NOT ANYMORE. And Dat’s Da Truth, Ruth (sic),” he wrote.
I’d pay Chrisette to NOT perform 😔
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) January 18, 2017
And The Roots’ drummer Questlove tweeted, “I’d pay Chrisette to NOT perform,” as reports circulated she was a part of the line-up.
Chrisette has now responded with a short statement which she posted on Instagram titled “We Can’t Be Present If We’re Silent”. “My heart is broken for our country, for the hopes of our children, for the fights of those who came before us…,” the post begins. And it appears to address the criticism and explain her reasons for accepting the invitation to attend the inauguration as she writes, “… I am willing to be a bridge. I don’t mind These Stones, if they allow me to be a voice for the voiceless.”