Lizzo praises activists fighting genocides in Palestine, Sudan and the Congo: ‘Your work is not in vain’
“I wanted to take a second and give a personal thank-you to all of the activists who have been working tirelessly,” the singer said.
Lizzo spoke out to fans and gave a personal thank you to activists who are protesting genocides in Palestine, Sudan and the Congo.
The singer took to Instagram on Monday to share her thoughts about the student protests taking place on college campuses across the country, which she called “deeply important,” and told her fans that expressing her public gratitude for activists was “long overdue.”
“I wanted to take a second and give a personal thank-you to all of the activists who have been working tirelessly to help the liberation and the freedom of the people who have been genocided all over the world, specifically Palestine, Sudan and the Congo,” Lizzo said in a video posted to the social media platform.
The 36-year-old pop star went on to say that she understands “the toll” activism can take on “our mental and your physical [health]” after working closely with activists.
“It can feel thankless,” she said. “So if you haven’t heard today, thank you. Your work is not in vain. You have helped so many people; you have saved literal lives.”
Lizzo added that she has been “in a deep dark depression” that has kept her out of the public eye for some time. “I had some mental health crises and episodes over the last nine months, and I was not present,” she said.
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The singer explained that “a loss” she experienced in her personal life and “the state of the world” put her into an “emotional state where I cannot process or handle anything. It was very dark.”
Over the past year, Lizzo has been accused of sexual harassment and “other workplace grievances” by former backup dancers in a lawsuit that is now “on hold while Lizzo appeals a ruling that allowed the case to move forward,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. In March, she declared that she was quitting — leading fans to believe she was quitting music — before clarifying that she meant she was quitting “negative energy.”
“I’m not saying this to make excuses, nor do I want sympathy. I just haven’t been able to be transparent with y’all in a long time,” Lizzo explained in Monday’s video. She continued on, saying that the activists’ work has “motivated” her to “get back to who I am.”
She concluded her message by acknowledging the “anti-genocide, anti-war” student protesters and the work of Operation Olive Branch, a grassroots organization that is assisting people in Palestine.
