Sarah McLachlan and other artists canceled a planned performance at Sunday night’s premiere of the ABC News documentary “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,” with the “Angel” singer telling the crowd the decision was made “in support of free speech” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
The move comes as a growing number of artists and consumers are pushing back against Disney’s move to suspend Kimmel, with hundreds protesting outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters on Friday and noteworthy names like Tatiana Maslany and Cynthia Nixon calling on the public to cancel their Disney+/Hulu subscriptions.
“I know you’re expecting a performance tonight, and I’m so grateful to all of you for coming, and I apologize if this is disappointing, but we have collectively decided not to perform but instead to stand in solidarity in support of free speech,” McLachlan told the crowd ahead of the screening, with THR reporting that the move received hearty applause.“Thank you for your understanding,” she said.
While the other performers were not formally announced, Jewel and Olivia Rodrigo were rumored to appear.
ABC News did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
McLachlan opened the screening of the doc about the female-centric music festival with remarks that touched upon the current state of affairs.
“It’s a gift for all of us to see [this film], but also I’ve grappled with being here tonight and around what to say about the present situation that we are all faced with, the stark contraction to the many advances we’ve made watching the insidious erosion of women’s rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech,” McLachlan said. “I think we’re all fearful for what comes next, and none of us know, but what I do know is that I have to keep pushing forward as an artist, as a woman to find a way through, and though I don’t begin to know what the answer is, I believe we all need to work towards a softening to let in the possibility of a better way, because I see music as a bridge to our shared humanity, to finding common ground.”
McLachlan’s cancellation of the musical performance comes after “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof stated he would not working with Disney ever again if they don’t reinstate Kimmel.
As TheWrap reported Friday, Disney and Kimmel’s team have been working to find a way to get the late night host back on the air after the company pulled his show on Wednesday over the reaction to a joke about conservatives’ response to the identity of Charlie Kirk’s killer.
Disney’s decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” came after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC and Disney during a podcast appearance, demanding that Kimmel be suspended over his comments. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said, suggesting that the government had “remedies” if the network did not act.
The blowback against Disney’s decision has only intensified in the days since, with Disney and Kimmel working again this week to find a way to get him back on the air.
