The Weeknd cancels a Jimmy Kimmel appearance thanks to Donald Trump

By William Hughes  |  May 26, 2016 | 2:55am
Aux Features TV

The Associated Press is reporting that singer-songwriter The Weeknd, and his frequent collaborator, the rapper Belly, have both dropped out of a planned appearance on tonight’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! According to statements from Belly, the withdrawal was due to the duo’s shared desire to not share a stage with one of Kimmel’s other guests: Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

“I just didn’t want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that majority of us don’t agree with,” Belly told reporters. The rapper and writer—who’s a practicing Muslim, a group Trump has targeted with inflammatory rhetoric in the past—has worked with The Weeknd on a number of projects, including tracks from Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and the Oscar-nominated “Earned It.”

Belly and The Weeknd join a rising chorus of artistic voices calling out Trump and denouncing his statements on a variety of issues, including immigration and national security. Yesterday, the Twitter group Writers On Trump passed around an open letter criticizing the candidate and small-handed human Oompa Loompa, with signatories including Michael Chabon and Stephen King.

 
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