Lauryn Hill blames media ‘sensationalism’ for tour cancellation

Lauryn Hill has blamed the abrupt cancellation of her upcoming shows on “sensationalism” in the media.

Earlier this week, Hill and the Fugees quietly cancelled a string of US tour dates just three days before the first scheduled date.

No reason was given to fans as refund notices were sent out, and the tour dates for August and September were removed from Ticketmaster.

The Miseducation anniversary tour shows in the US were supposed to feature Hill and her Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, and were set to begin in Tampa on Friday (9 August). They were expected to perform hits from “Ready or Not” to “Killing Me Softly”.

On Wednesday (7 August), Hill, 49, shared an update to Instagram, attributing the cancellations to low ticket sales allegedly caused by the way the media has reported on her previous pulling out of numerous commitments.

She claimed that the poor sales were not the result of unpopularity, but were instead the fault of “sensationalism” in the media and “clickbait headlines”.

Clarifying that “the shows in the UK and Europe ARE MOVING FORWARD as planned”, she said that she had had to cancel shows last year due to “an injury”, writing: “Regrettably, some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour.

“The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”

Hill said that “no one” was “more disappointed about not being able to perform” than her, calling the experience a “profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time”.

She added that she hoped to be “back in full force” with the Fugees for future North American shows.

The Fugees reunited in 2021, 15 years since their last performance, but played just one show before axing the tour for what they described as pandemic-related difficulties.

They tried again in 2023, only to cancel their concerts for a second time, which Hill said was due to her suffering “serious vocal strain”.

Many fans were joking about her habit of cancelling shows on social media, with one person writing on X/Twitter: “If you bought tickets to a Lauryn Hill show in 2024, you deserve everything that happened to you.”