Singer shares how she faced pressure to have an abortion after becoming pregnant
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Black America Web
a day ago
- Black America Web
The Ultimate Ick: Victoria Monét Reveals Her Team's Cringe-Worthy Advice To Reconsider Pregnancy For Her Career
Victoria Monét has publicly shared a deeply personal story about her journey to motherhood, revealing that she was advised to reconsider her pregnancy by a member of her team. The Grammy award-winning artist went into detail about the pressures she felt surrounding her unexpected pregnancy and the apologies she felt she had to make. Source: MICHAEL TRAN / Getty Monét, a celebrated singer, songwriter, and producer, rose to prominence writing hits for artists like Ariana Grande and Fifth Harmony before breaking out as a solo artist with her critically acclaimed Jaguar EP. Her career was on an upward trajectory when she found out she was pregnant. In February 2021, just months after releasing Jaguar , Monét welcomed her daughter, Hazel Monét, with her then partner, John Gaines. During a recent appearance on an episode of IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson , Monét reflected on the challenging period surrounding her pregnancy announcement. She stated that she was told her business might 'slow down' after having a child. Monét found herself in a sensitive position, feeling a need to 'apologize' to business partners for her pregnancy, despite it being a deeply personal and joyous moment for her. She described the internal conflict, noting, 'It's difficult, but it's also something that you're supposed to feel celebratory about because it's a blessing and not everybody gets that opportunity that wants it.' To make things worse, Monét described a specific incident with a person on her internal team. 'I had a person on my team, though the intentions were good, really, really hurt my feelings because they made a PowerPoint presentation to me about how difficult it will be for me,' Monét explained. The presentation reportedly used examples such as the high costs of childcare and other logistical challenges, ultimately concluding with the question, 'What's the rush?' 'So it felt like an encouragement to get an abortion,' she continued. 'So that was really, really hurtful. And I walked out of that meeting,' she revealed. However, this unfortunate moment lit a fire in her to prove them wrong. 'I walked out of the meeting with that same fight that I had when I left home, like, 'I'm gonna do this. It's my body and I'm gonna make it work even if it's hard. I'm not scared of hard things, I can do hard things.' After the clip hit social media and the news story began to circulate, Monét took to Instagram to clarify some of the details: 'I want to clarify something I said on Michelle Obama's podcast that aired yesterday regarding my first pregnancy.' She continued,' When sharing the story of the PowerPoint, I was in fact not referring to anyone at Platoon. It was a meeting with someone on my personal internal team. I was simply sharing my personal experience, and I want to be clear that I wasn't trying to single anyone out from my internal team at the time, which is why no names are mentioned, and I will keep it that way.' The singer added that she believes the person's intentions were genuine and does not wish them harm. She concluded the statement, highlighting Platoon, Monét's label and business partners, and their contributions to her career, further clarifying that the person who created the PowerPoint was not affiliated with the label. Today, Monét's 4-year-old daughter, Hazel, is a star in her own right, often appearing alongside her mom on red carpets and in viral social media moments. The duo recently even debuted their children's book, Everywhere You Are , further cementing their bond and Monét's commitment to her role as a mother. Watch the full interview with Victoria Monét on IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson below. The post The Ultimate Ick: Victoria Monét Reveals Her Team's Cringe-Worthy Advice To Reconsider Pregnancy For Her Career appeared first on Bossip. SEE ALSO The Ultimate Ick: Victoria Monét Reveals Her Team's Cringe-Worthy Advice To Reconsider Pregnancy For Her Career was originally published on
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Artist pulls art from Smithsonian gallery after museum tries to alter her trans Statue of Liberty painting
The artist who painted former First Lady Michelle Obama's official White House portrait has pulled her latest show from a D.C. Museum this week after the space's owners wanted to alter one of her works to avoid offending President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Thursday. Artist Amy Sherald withdrew her solo show from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery after she was told her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" — a depiction of the Statue of Liberty as a trans woman — may be removed by the gallery. "I entered into this collaboration in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived," Sherald said in a letter to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III. Sherald painted the portrait of Obama currently owned by the National Portrait Gallery. The work, which is a grayscale image of the former First Lady that features some brighter colors near the bottom of her floor-length dress, generated controversy when it was unveiled in 2018. Critics online savaged the more abstract elements of the portrait, and some ripped the work for not looking anything like Obama. Courting controversy once again, Sherald refused to have "Trans Forming Liberty" altered or removed from her "American Sublime" gallery that was set to debut at the museum in September. In a statement she produced Thursday that was shared with Fox News Digital, the artist said she was "informed that concerns had been raised internally" about the work. "These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition," she said. "While no single person is to blame, it's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role." In a separate statement obtained by The Times, Sherald said that Bunch had proposed replacing the transgender depiction with a video of people reacting to it — an idea the artist rejected. "When I understood a video would replace the painting, I decided to cancel," she said. "The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the 'American Sublime' narrative." However, a Smithsonian spokesperson disputed Sherald's account of Bunch's proposed alterations. "The video was to accompany the painting as a way to contextualize the piece, "It was not to replace Amy Sherald's painting," they said in a statement. When asked for comment, the Smithsonian pointed Fox News Digital to its recent statement on the matter. "While we understand Amy's decision to withdraw her show from the National Portrait Gallery, we are disappointed that Smithsonian audiences will not have an opportunity to experience 'American Sublime,'" it read. "Unfortunately, we could not come to an agreement with the artist. We remain appreciative and inspired by Ms. Sherald, her artwork and commitment to portraiture," it added. Sherald's exit comes after Trump signed an executive order in March to remove leftist ideology and historical revisionism from government institutions. In the order, he called out the Smithsonian for having "come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology." "This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive," he added. Trump also declared he would be firing the Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, for being a "strong supporter of D.E.I." Sajet resigned from her role in June. The White House provided Fox News Digital with a quote from Trump admin official Lindsey Halligan blasting Sherald's artwork. "The 'Trans Forming Liberty' painting, which sought to reinterpret one of our nation's most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens, fundamentally strayed from the mission and spirit of our national museums. The Statue of Liberty is not an abstract canvas for political expression — it is a revered and solemn symbol of freedom, inspiration, and national unity that defines the American spirit." She added, "President Trump's Executive Order mandates that such institutions serve not as platforms for ideological division, but as sources of unity, inspiration and pride of our shared history. The removal of this exhibit is a principled and necessary step toward restoring that purpose."
Fox News
3 days ago
- Fox News
Grammy-winning artist says she was encouraged to have an abortion after unexpected pregnancy
R&B singer-and-songwriter Victoria Monét revealed she was pressured to have an abortion after learning she was pregnant with her daughter, during an appearance on former First Lady Michelle Obama's podcast on Wednesday. Monét, who won Grammys in 2024 for best new artist, best R&B album and best engineered album, shared about how motherhood impacted her career after giving birth to her daughter Hazel in 2021. Not everyone in her professional circle was supportive of her pregnancy, she recalled. The singer explained it was difficult to share the celebratory news because she understood it might not be received well by her business associates. "So when I got pregnant, I was an independent artist. I was working with this company called Platoon working out of the UK. And when you're an artist, though you're a human, you're technically the business," Monét said on the podcast. "So, to have to explain to someone who is a partner in your business that your business may slow down because of pregnancy, is difficult, but it's also something that you're supposed to feel celebratory about." Platoon is a London-based music distribution and creative services company which helps boost independent artists before they sign deals with major labels. After breaking the news to her business partner over Zoom, Monét said she was given a presentation telling her how difficult and expensive it was to raise a child. "In retrospect, it was really, really disheartening," Monét admitted. "I had a person on my team, though the intentions were good, really, really hurt my feelings because they made a PowerPoint presentation to me about how difficult it will [sic] be for me." "And the finale of the presentation was, what's the rush? So, it felt like an encouragement to get an abortion. So that was really, really hurtful," she shared. Monét called it a "very emotional" experience but said it left her with a "fight" to prove that motherhood didn't have to derail her career. "And I walked out of that meeting…with that same fight that I had when I left home. I'm going to do this. It's my body, and I'm going to make it work even if it's hard," she recalled. She didn't believe the person meant to "harm" her but wanted her to understand that having a child was a "big decision" that would impact her career. Ultimately, the incident came "full circle," she explained, because one of her most popular songs, "On My Mama," she wrote about becoming a mother. "She's been the biggest blessing," Monét said of her daughter. "I had these preconceived notions that having a child would suspend my career or make things even more difficult, but God just was like, 'nope,' but it's been so fun." Fox News Digital reached out to Platoon for comment.
