Kissing could cost Swift ex Matty Healy millions
At a festival in Malaysia, Matty Healy kissed his bassist on stage. Homosexual activities are strictly banned there. This could now cost the frontman of The 1975 a multi-million sum.
It was a kiss of protest: Matty Healy, the frontman of the indie-rock band The 1975, kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur last July. Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and can be punished with 20 years in prison. Healy was furious at the time: "I don't see the point in inviting The 1975 to a country where we're told who we can have sex with."
Addressing the audience, the ex of Taylor Swift said: "That's not fair to you. Because you're not representative of your government. You're young people, and I'm sure many of you are gay and progressive and cool." He then demonstratively kissed his bassist on stage. Shortly after, the concert was cut short and Healy had to announce to the fans that The 1975 had just been "banned" from Kuala Lumpur. The next day, the entire festival was stopped.
The organizers of the festival now want Healy to cover these costs. The festival organizers are demanding compensation of £1.9 million (around €2.2 million) from Healy due to the losses incurred as a result of the breach of performance regulations in the British High Court. Additionally, the band is facing a separate class-action lawsuit from several musicians and exhibitors who claim they lost earnings due to the cancellation of the second and third days of the festival.
Even Criticism from LGBTQIA+ Representatives
A festival official, Wan Alman, told global media in 2023 that the management of The 1975 had assured him that the band would comply with the rules of the conservative country and the festival's guidelines. The festival also does not permit discussing politics and religion on stage, swearing, smoking, or drinking alcohol. Therefore, the kiss was a breach of contract.
Healy's protest performance was even criticized by members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the country, as his provocative activism would make their lives more difficult. He later defended himself publicly: "It (the kiss, Anm. of the Ed.) was a part of The 1975's stage show that had been performed many times before."
Matty Healy is known to Swifties as "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" because his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift takes musical revenge on him on her current album "The Tortured Poets Department," among other songs. Healy and Swift have known each other for years and are said to have had a brief relationship after her breakup with actor Joe Alwyn, which Swift obviously hasn't forgotten in a positive light.
Despite facing criticism from some LGBTIQ people in Malaysia for potentially making their lives more challenging, Matty Healy defended his kiss with his bandmate Ross MacDonald, stating it was a routine part of their stage show.
The Good Vibes Festival organizers, as well as several musicians and exhibitors, are accusing Matty Healy and The 1975 of breaching performance regulations and causing financial losses due to their controversial protest, thereby potentially affecting LGBTIQ people and allies within the festival.
