Featured Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Health, Women's Health, Money
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Health, Women's Health, Money
Swedish singer Zara Larsson has reportedly opened up about losing a $3 million brand deal because of an 'abortion joke'.
The 28-year-old hit-maker, famous for tracks like 'Lush Life', 'Midnight Sun' and 'Stateside', has taken to TikTok to respond to critics calling her out for her remarks made in response to a video posted by a fan online.
The post in question saw Larsson performing live with the overlay text reading 'I didn’t know that I was pregnant here', adding: "At least my baby got to hear 'Midnight Sun' before I aborted it."
Larsson then responded in the comments: "I killed the performance and then you killed it after the performance purrrrrr."
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While some defended the singer for the joke, others were left outraged, prompting Larsson herself to take to the platform once again to address the matter.
Explaining that she 'doesn’t know what to say' to people who took issue with the comment, she doubled down: "Sorry, that’s funny… Sorry if you don’t have humour.
"But also, I’m not really here to argue with the people who are very against abortions for whatever reason because we’re so fundamentally different in the way we view the world, at least on this topic."
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Referencing criticism from viewers claiming that the topic of abortion was 'not something to joke about', Larsson outlined that she was 'not here to try to convince you guys that abortion is healthcare or whatever', adding that she was confused why people want to keep it as a 'taboo' subject.
"Why do you feel like abortion is only OK when it’s a very hard decision, when it’s something that women have to struggle with going through, when it’s emotionally or physically painful?" she asked.
"Why does that make it morally superior to someone just wanting an abortion for whatever reason? Why is it only morally OK when women have to suffer? Now riddle me that."
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Larsson also took the opportunity to outline that there should be better sexual education in order to 'prevent it'.
She rounded off: "I feel like by joking about stuff like that, which is a 'serious topic', it also makes it something that we can just talk about. It doesn’t have to be taboo. It doesn’t have to be this bad thing that women do."
"If we speak about it in a casual manner, that also makes [it easier for] the women who go through it and who are actually suffering through it," Larsson concluded. "So let’s just make more jokes.
"Abortion is healthcare, what can I say."
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According to a post shared by a Zara Larsson fanpage on X earlier today (20 March), the singer revealed in a 'since-deleted' TikTok that she lost out on a $3 million brand deal due to her comments.
"I lost like a three-million-dollar deal," she explained, before adding: "If you don't agree with me thinking that women should have access to abortion or that we could have like a joking conversation about it, we're just not meant to be partners, and I don't give a f*ck about it.
"You can give me a million DMs. You can send me a million comments [...] I don't give a rat's a** because I'm so sure of my stance in that."
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Tyla has reached out to Zara Larsson's representatives for comment.
For help, support and advice about abortion, contact the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on 03457 30 40 30, 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm on Saturdays, and 9.30am to 2.30pm on Sundays.