After facing a week of backlash from folks across the internet, Betty Who would like to clear the air around her recent appearance on the Made It Out podcast.
In a statement published to their Instagram Stories on Wednesday night (Aug. 27), the Australian pop singer said that after some reflection, she regretted what she said on the show. “In recent days, I’ve taken time to sit with the conversation around my gender and sexuality. I recognise that the language I used poorly articulated my experience and unintentionally reinforced ideas that were harmful or dismissive, particularly toward the lesbian community,” they wrote. “That was never my intention, and I’m truly sorry. Everyone’s journey is deeply personal, and I shouldn’t have spoken in ways that generalised or spoke for others.”
The comments in question came when Who was asked about how a person’s sexuality can evolve over time, and two fellow pop singers — Fletcher and JoJo Siwa — who came under speculation earlier this year after they both announced their romantic relationships with men while still identifying as queer. “It shouldn’t be illegal for you to fall in love,” Who said on the podcast. “It’s kind of like, now we’ve come so far, that our community is so strong, that now it’s like a crime to be straight.”
Who also used noted pop star Reneé Rapp, who is a lesbian, as an example of fluid sexuality. “Reneé Rapp is like, ‘You’ll never catch me dating a man,’” she explained. “Like, ‘Go off, queen. I love that for you!’ But I also hold space for her in 10 years if she goes, ‘Oops, I met the love of my life and it’s this man, I didn’t mean to.’ It’s like, that’s OK!”
Many users online accused Who of spreading lesbophobic information about queer relationship dynamics, particularly reinforcing the myth that lesbians simply “need to find the right man.” One such critic was fellow queer pop singer King Princess, who talked about Who’s comments on her own TikTok on Tuesday. “Date a man, it’s not a big deal. But why are you on a podcast talking about it? It’s not an interesting narrative,” she said. “We live in a country where our rights are being stripped from us every day, and you think it’s important to get on a podcast and talk about how hard it is to be in a heteronormative relationship? Diva!”
In their statement, Who clarified that her intention in going on the Made It Out podcast was to “discuss my own journey” as a bisexual and nonbinary person, and not to project her personal experience onto others. “I understand there is so much nuance in this conversation, and in other people’s lived experiences, that my comments did not reflect,” she wrote. “I also recognize that I’m coming from a place of privilege, and I never meant to contribute to prejudice against the community.”
Closing out her statement, Who reiterated that the LGBTQ+ community as her “home,” and promised fans that “I will do better” in the futre.