Justin Timberlake doesn’t mess around when it comes to his friends. The singer came to fellow artist Pink’s defense this weekend after she caught major flak for being spotted on an Australian beach the day after a canceled tour stop. And, in having Pink’s back, JT made some pretty salient points about the culture of celebrity fandom.
Trouble began brewing for Pink on Thursday, when she announced she would have to postpone a concert in Sydney, Australia, that was part of her Beautiful Trauma world tour. The “What About Us” singer cited illness for the unexpected cancellation, explaining that she would need time to recuperate.
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When local headlines put her “chilling” at Byron Bay in Australia on Friday — the day of the canceled tour date — tabloids accused the pop star of essentially phoning in an excuse so she could soak up some sun.
Of course, there are always two sides to every story. Pink shared hers in response to the swift backlash, clarifying that what the paparazzi pics don’t show is “two doctor visits in Byron on two consecutive days, antibiotics, steroids, Vick’s, nose spray, throat spray, more steroids, NyQuil, a screaming baby in the middle of the night, every night, while mama gives him warm baths and tells her daughter everything is fine.”
She went on to stress that she takes her responsibility to her fans very seriously and that she performs and mothers with everything she has — or, in her words, “trying to do what was best for my children, while also putting on the best and most physically demanding and beautiful show of my life.” The Byron Bay outing had been a planned excursion, “a way to get outside the hotel and the winter and have some time with my children,” Pink wrote.
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Enter Timberlake, who is currently on his own Man of the Woods tour in Europe. In short, JT just wasn’t having it. The singer replied to Pink’s post, adding a bit of thoughtful commentary on the entire ordeal.
“As an artist who has had the fortune of sharing the stage twice on tour with this incomparable BADASS (once with ‘NSync and once as a solo artist), I’m here to tell you that you won’t find a harder working, more authentically talented, and more thankful for her place on that stage and her fans than this woman,” Timberlake said.
The situation resonated with Timberlake on a personal level, too. “And NOW,” he added, “as a parent on our tour as well, and as an artist who LOVES their fans just as much and wants to give them an unprecedented experience… AND is currently battling an injury, a sinus infection, and trying to be the Dad I want to be too?? I say HATS OFF to you, my friend. I don’t know how Moms/Artists like you exist.”
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And, well, he’s got a point. Do celebrities lead glamorous lifestyles? Sometimes, sure. But as any parent will tell you, there’s nothing glamorous about tending to your entire family when you aren’t feeling your best — and it’s even tougher when your kids are sick as well.
We say kudos to Pink for wanting to give her fans the best possible show and for realizing there was no way for her to do that given her current circumstances.
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