Sarah McLachlan, who was scheduled to perform alongside Jewel at the Sunday premiere of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, announced that their performances were canceled due what she described as Disney’s “muzzling of free speech” as part of the growing protest in defense of free speech sparked by the suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! late night television sshow.
The documentary, directed by Ally Pankiw, examines the music festival that exclusively featured female solo artists and female-led bands. The film’s content is relevant to the recent Kimmel controversy through its coverage of the backlash and free speech struggles that Lilith Fair faced hence the decision.
“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 said.
After condemnation from a broad range of critics, including Republican senator Ted Cruz, along with stock market repercussions, Disney announced today that Kimmel’s show would return to television on Tuesday.
McLachlan is just one of many standing in solidarity with Kimmel. Over 400 Hollywood names have spoken in support of Kimmel including movie stars Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Selena Gomez, Billy Crystal, Robert DeNiro, Jane Fonda, Rosie O’Donnell, Jason Bateman, Ben Stiller, Christine Baranski, Martin Short, Debra Messing, Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Rodrigo and Natalie Portman to name some of the biggest.
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