Jay-Z’s Made In America Fest Cancelled Due To ‘Severe Circumstances'

Jay-Z’s highly-anticipated Made In America festival, which was set to take place next month in Philadelphia, has been cancelled.

“Due to severe circumstances outside of production control, the 2023 Made in America festival will no longer be taking place,” the festival shared in a statement on social media.

“This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation. Made in America has a legacy of delivering exceptional experiences for music fans and concert goers, and it is our commitment to always deliver a top-tier festival experience.”

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No further information was given as to why the event was cancelled just two months after the line-up was revealed.

The festival has been held on Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia every year since 2012 with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was set to see Lizzo, Miguel, Tems, Metro Boomin, Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Latto, Lil Yachty, Doechii, Lola, and many more perform.

The news comes following this year’s headliner Lizzo being the subject of scandal after it was revealed she was being sued for alleged sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment by her former backup dancers.

The allegations from the singer’s former backup dancers surfaced this week, with Lizzo accused of body shaming and firing an employee and, amongst other claims, in an Amsterdam nightclub, was accused of “inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas”.

The lawsuit, obtained by NBC News, said, “Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed.”

Lizzo hit back at the accusations on August 3, saying: “These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized [sic].”

She continued, “Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior [sic] on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

Lizzo highlighted her passion as an artist and added, “With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”

“I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days,” she added.

“I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not. There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”

It is not known whether the lawsuit affected her headlining performance slot at Made In America.