It is no secret that President-elect Donald Trump has had trouble locating people to perform at his inauguration celebration, even though he claims it is going to be an incredible affair. Broadway star Jennifer Holliday received a bevy of critical remarks for agreeing to perform at the event, and she finally took the hint and dropped out of her role in Trump’s inauguration.
Holliday is a Grammy and Tony Award winner who garnered popularity playing the role of Effie White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. The role was later played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film version of the musical.
Holliday previously performed at the inauguration ceremonies of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
In an open letter originally published in in The Wrap, Holliday cites her lack of knowledge in the political arena as why she signed up for the event (and continued to defend her decision after the criticism began).
She apologized to her fans, and specifically mentioned her fans in the LGBT community of being her main reason for backtracking:
“…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!”
She continues by thanking the LGBT community for getting her career off the ground:
“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. Thank you for communicating with me, I had no idea that I still meant so much to all of you.”
It is important that Holliday realized what a disservice she was doing to the communities who helped launch her career as a star, and she deserves credit for listening to the criticism and information and making the right choice.
Trump’s inauguration has lost the support of a true star.
At least Trump still has 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith. “Kryptonite” is one thing, but here’s some of the true star power he’ll be missing out on:
Featured Image via Flickr User Michael Vadon /CC-By-SA-2.0
