What’s wrong with being … brutally honest? Demi Lovato addressed her feud with Taylor Swift over Kesha’s legal battle in a new interview with Refinery29, published on Tuesday, May 17.
While Lovato received flak for taking aim at Swift, 26, she still stands behind her message. The Staying Strong author, 23, also seemed to suggest that she and the former country starlet will probably never be BFFs.
“There are women that I don’t get along with, and that’s fine. My thing is, don’t brand yourself a feminist if you don’t do the work. I have an immense amount of respect for women like Lena Dunham … or Beyoncé, who make amazing political statements through their work,” the Disney Channel alum explained to Refinery29 when asked about her debacle with Swift. “I’m not going to stop saying what I believe in. I have no problem standing up for myself.”
As previously reported, Lovato made a pointed dig at her fellow pop star Swift back in February, criticizing her lack of support for Kesha, 29, who was in the middle of a legal battle with her alleged sexual abuser and producer Dr. Luke. At the time, a multitude of celebrities — including Lovato, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande, among others — came to the “Tik ToK” singer’s defense on social media.
“I’m also ready for self-proclaimed feminists to start speaking out or taking action for women’s rights,” Lovato tweeted.
Instead of responding to the “Confident” songstress’ jab, T.Swift quietly donated $250,000 to Kesha to help her with her court costs, according to the “Die Young” singer’s mom, Pebe Sebert. Still, Lovato — she and Swift share a mutual pal in Selena Gomez — was unimpressed, and made that very clear to her legions of Lovatics.
“Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I’ll be impressed,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet, insinuating that Swift (who pioneered the concept of a girl squad) should have joined in on a discussion about feminism, rather than just gifting Kesha a tiny fraction of her fortune.
“I have no problem standing up for myself. Maybe I got it from growing up in Texas, but I never took s–t from anybody. Now I know how to do it without pushing people away,” Lovato added to Refinery29. “You just don’t approach things with a F–k You mentality. Instead it’s: This is the way I’m perceiving things. There’s nothing wrong with my beliefs or feelings. So let’s agree to disagree, or let’s just disagree.”
