After using two separate interviews to defend her decision to perform at a pre-inauguration concert for Donald Trump at the Lincoln Memorial on January 19, Jennifer Holliday has ultimately decided to withdraw her involvement from the event. In an open letter obtained by the Wrap, Holliday apologized to the LGBTQ community for her “lapse of judgement†and outlined the initial reasons why she wanted to perform; additionally, she said that a widely shared article published in the Daily Beast prompted her to pull out. The letter, in part, can be read below, with the entirety available here:
I was honestly just thinking that I wanted my voice to be a healing and unifying force for hope through music to help our deeply polarized country … Regretfully, I did not take into consideration that my performing for the concert would actually instead be taken as a political act against my own personal beliefs and be mistaken for support of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. In light of the information pointed out to me via the Daily Beast article on yesterday, my only choice must now be to stand with the LGBT Community and to state unequivocally that I WILL NOT PERFORM FOR THE WELCOME CONCERT OR FOR ANY OF THE INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES!
I sincerely apologize for my lapse of judgement, for being uneducated on the issues that affect every American at this crucial time in history and for causing such dismay and heartbreak to my fans. Please know that I HEAR YOU and I feel your pain. The LGBT Community was mostly responsible for birthing my career and I am deeply indebted to you … You have loved me faithfully and unconditionally and for so many years you provided me with work even though my star had long since faded.
Holliday’s fellow pre-inauguration concert performers, country singer Toby Keith and rock band 3 Doors Down, are still confirmed.