Anita Baker asks Babyface to “call off” his fans after his slashed opening set at a performance of her Songstress Tour leads to online bullying and threatening.
Songbird Anita Baker has publicly asked musician Babyface to “call off” his devoted fan base, claiming that they have threatened and bullied her online over the latter’s cut opening set during a May performance of her Songstress Tour.
The feud stems from Babyface’s feature as a surprise guest on Baker’s 15-city tour that began in February. He was to open her New Jersey concert on May 10 but did not appear at the Prudential Center that night. He explained in a tweet that his set was cut so headliner Anita Baker could perform since the show got a late start due to technical issues.
“I am truly sorry to my fans who have been waiting for us to hit the stage this evening,” Babyface tweeted in May. “I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety.”
Baker explains in a series of tweets that she’s been dealing with hate from his fans ever since. On June 9, she tweeted about Babyface’s silence over the issue.
“When a friend is being attacked by your friends because of misinformation/fake news, and you have an opportunity to say something/correct it? It’s a nice thing. It’s the right thing to do. Reputation, peace, and safety matters,” writes Baker.
On June 12, Baker addressed Babyface directly in a tweet asking him to “call off” his fans who have been sending her threats. The legendary diva also tried to clarify that Babyface was a supporting act on her tour, not a co-headliner — numerous fans had assumed Babyface was co-headlining the tour and that his absence resulted from Baker’s decision.
“Yes, Babyface is (a) special guest/support act on my tour. This false narrative of a co-headliner is creating unrealistic expectations and aggression from his fans towards me,” she writes. “He should tell you guys the truth.”
Baker has since announced that due to the ongoing feud and Babyface’s continued silence on the subject, she will continue her tour alone and that “appropriate refunds will be made” through Ticketmaster.