The former Fugees singer's camp and the Recording Academy President Neil Portnow keep giving conflicting statements about her scrapped performance at Monday's Grammys.
- Feb 18, 2016
AceShowbiz - The drama behind Lauryn Hill's canceled appearance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards still continues. After she failed to show up at the event earlier this week, her team claimed that her performance there was never really confirmed. Shortly after, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow told reporters backstage that the singer's statement wasn't accurate.
"Our intention was, and we were ready, right up to the moment of the performance, for her to step up on stage," he said and then revealed that Hill had attended rehearsals at Los Angeles' Staples Center earlier in the day, but failed to make it to the actual show later. "She was there for it, completed it and left the building. And then she did not get back in time to make the show. I'm sorry, that's the bottom line. That's the truth. That's unfortunate. I guess those things happen."
Most recent update came from Hill's camp, who insisted the former The Fugees singer shouldn't be blamed for the scrapped performance. "In regards to the comments this morning from The Grammys, CBS did announce Ms. Hill's performance, there were official Grammy television ads that ran for a couple of days naming Ms. Hill as a performer on the show," read a statement from the singer's reps.
"Her camp was unhappy about this. They had made it clear from the start that although Ms. Hill was going to attempt to make the show, she could not confirm, as there were too many logistical issues that could potentially prevent the performance from happening. The performance was also supposed to be a surprise. This was discussed with Grammy organizers, and the TV spots were pulled," it continued.
"As previously mentioned, Ms.Hill attempted a last minute rush to LA, to see if this could happen, but unfortunately timing that day kept it from being a reality. Ms. Hill truly appreciated the invitation, and the efforts made by all parties to try and make the performance happen," it added.
Hill was supposed to join The Weeknd on the stage during the Monday night event, which aired live on CBS. She wasn't the only performer who ended up canceling her scheduled appearance. Rihanna, who was slated to play "Kiss It Better" from her "Anti" album, was already at the venue only to go home later due to an illness.
