Lizzo Admits Her 'I Quit" Message Had Nothing To Do With Quitting Social Media Or Her Music Career
Her fans were relieved, but it only egged on her critics.
lev radin / Shutterstock.com Just days after seemingly announcing her departure from her career, singer Lizzo has returned to social media to clarify what exactly made her want to leave in the first place. It has left her fans relieved but also reignited the criticisms that inspired her angry post.
Lizzo says her 'I quit' message was not about her career or plans to retire.
Lizzo made major waves recently when she posted an angry message to Instagram clapping back at those who criticize her online.
The 35-year-old singer and fashion designer ended the emotional post with the words, "I quit," leading many to believe she was essentially retiring.
The post came after Lizzo's appearance at a fundraiser for President Joe Biden drew heavy criticism — those angry with the Biden Administration's actions in Gaza criticized Lizzo for supporting Biden, while those angry over the harassment allegations against Lizzo by former employees slammed the decision to hire her. (Lizzo denies those allegations.)
"I'm getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet," Lizzo wrote in a post the day after the fundraiser. "All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it."
Photo: Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock
"But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it," she went on to say, calling out "lies being told about me for clout & views" and "being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look." She pointedly closed the post by saying, "I didn’t sign up for this [stuff] — I QUIT.”
Lizzo says that what she is actually 'quitting' is 'negative energy' that impedes her 'joy.'
Lizzo's post was widely interpreted to mean she was leaving the entertainment industry, or at least social media, altogether. It would be hard to blame her, between the disturbing legal allegations against her and the constant fatphobic mockery of her appearance.
But in a follow-up post, she said that it's actually the opposite — she's quitting neither. Sporting one of her own swimsuits from her Yitty apparel line, Lizzo explained, "When I say I quit, I mean I quit giving any negative energy [my] attention."
She went on to explain that she has no intention of quitting "the joy of my life, which is making music, which is connecting with people," and positioned her decision as part of a common struggle that many of us share. "In no way, shape, or form am I the only person who is experiencing that negative voice that seems to be louder than the positive," she said.
She concluded by thanking fans and saying she intends to keep moving forward because, "if I can just give one person the inspiration or motivation to stand up for themselves and say they quit letting negative people win, negative comments win, then I've done even more that I could have hoped for."
Lizzo's clarification has gotten mixed reactions from fans and commentators.
There's no denying that Lizzo's response speaks to the dark side of online life nowadays. We live in incredibly divisive times, after all, and being a celebrity who doesn't fit the usual molds makes you a target for much of that vitriol.
Many fans online were relieved by Lizzo's seeming retraction. "Thank goodness, Lizzo, you had me worried," one fan wrote on TikTok. "You and your music [have] showed me strength and that you can be happy the way you are," another wrote.
But to others, her update landed more like an about-face after not getting what they assumed was the sympathy Lizzo desired. Others assumed she just did it for attention or was attempting to blame the internet for justifiable criticism — criticism that then began to recirculate all over again.
It's hard not to see this whole thing as petulant and messy. You certainly wouldn't want to be her publicist right now. But it also underlines the bind so many public figures end up in: No matter what they do, someone is going to drag them for it.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice, and human interest topics.