Although fans were expecting a surprise appearance from Lauryn Hill, during The Weeknd’s performance at Monday night’s Grammys (February 15), the singer never showed up leaving fans disappointed and confused. In a statement released by her rep, Lauryn Hill offered some insight to her absence, claiming “Any performance that could have happened was never confirmed, and should not have been advertised as such.”
Following Hill’s statement, Grammys president Neil Portnow spoke with USA Today and disputed Hill’s claim saying she showed up for the dress rehearsal earlier that day and then never showed up for the actual performance. He said, “Our intention was, and we were ready, right up to the moment of the performance, for her to step up on stage.”
Now, Hill’s camp has responded to Portnow’s statement disputing the claims. Read the full and updated statement below.
A rep from Lauryn Hill’s camp released the following statement;
In regards to the comments this morning from The Grammys, CBS did announce Ms. Hill’s performance, there were official Grammy television ads that ran for a couple of days naming Ms. Hill as a performer on the show. Her camp was unhappy about this. They had made it clear from the start that although Ms. Hill was going to attempt to make the show, she could not confirm, as there were too many logistical issues that could potentially prevent the performance from happening. The performance was also supposed to be a surprise. This was discussed with Grammy organizers, and the TV spots were pulled. As previously mentioned, Ms.Hill attempted a last minute rush to LA, to see if this could happen, but unfortunately timing that day kept it from being a reality. Ms. Hill truly appreciated the invitation, and the efforts made by all parties to try and make the performance happen.
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