Two-time Grammy winner and Toronto native Abel Tesfaye – known to you as The Weeknd and, on weekends, as the guy who sings ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ – backed out of their scheduled performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night after finding out Donald Trump would appear in the episode.
The move came on the day Trump all but secured his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate.
Fellow Oscar-winner Belly, who is also from Canada and with whom The Weeknd has collaborated, backed out of the show as well.
“I’m here on a campaign of positivity and love and to contribute what I can to music,” Belly said.
“For me, being Muslim and being somebody that appreciates my access here in America, I love the fact that I’m able to be here. To play my part in this business is a privilege and a beautiful thing. The fact that I could lose that ability through the actions of someone such as Donald Trump isn’t right to me. At all.”
Belly is referring, of course, to the sun-dried orange peel’s potential ban on Muslims entering the United States were he elected president, a hypothetical we’d like to see perish with the swift urgency of the impending American diaspora.
“I just didn’t want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that a majority of us don’t agree with,” added Belly.
Trump appeared on the show and, perhaps taking The Weeknd’s hit High for This literally, announced he would debate Bernie Sanders and donate the proceeds to charity.
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