Lauryn Hill has spoken out following a tumultuous performance at Caesar’s Superdome, where she played to a largely empty stadium after delays caused her to arrive hours after her scheduled time. The Fugees singer’s statement comes after the festival, which took place on July 5, accepted responsibility for the delay, clarifying that the reason was “not hers.”
In a new statement, Hill thanked the festival for “clarifying that the delays were not my fault” and pushed back against what she described as a public “misconception” about her work ethic. She noted that she is “involved in every aspect of design, preparation and production of my shows while also being a parent, grandparent and steward to my immediate family and community.”
Addressing the perception of her late arrivals, Hill wrote, “There seems to be a misconception out there though that I am somewhere on the Riviera with my feet up, drink in hand, showing up to concerts whenever because I’m too important to care. That’s nonsense… and anyone who’s been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.”
Hill also revealed that this was not the first time she has faced such production challenges, but it was “the first time a promoter has acknowledged the slip up on their end, (thank you Essence!).” She added that it would be “the last time I’ll allow production challenges to look like the fault is mine alone, when they aren’t.”
The artist continued, expressing that she is “okay” with those who “can no longer extend me grace,” emphasizing that “it’s God’s grace that sustains me and the love of the fans who appreciate that my message came for them when they needed it most and KNOW that I was probably punished for being so honest in the midst of big business.” She concluded her statement with a strong message to the media, urging them to “fact check and watch what you irresponsibly put out there.”
The recent performance follows Hill’s moving appearance at the memorial for the late Roberta Flack in March, where she reunited with fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean. The pair performed Flack’s classic hits ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ and ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ in tribute to the singer, whose famous song the Fugees had covered. At the memorial, Hill delivered a powerful speech honoring Flack, describing her as an artist who “carved out for me a pathway of soulful Black intellectual sublime beauty” and whose very “existence was a form of resistance.”