Stormzy has released a statement explaining his controversial collaboration with McDonald’s and the disappearance of his Free Palestine social media post.
The Mel Made Me Do It rapper has been slammed by fans in recent weeks after his collaboration with McDonald’s was revealed. Fans how noticed an Instagram post advocating for a Free Palestine shared by British artist in 2023 no longer appears on his page, with some falsely alleging he deleted it prior to agreeing to do the advert. Stickers saying he ‘sold out’ even appeared in public.
The advert has even prompted a response from former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has branded the collaboration as “hugely disappointing.” Fans were disappointed in Stormzy as those standing in solidarity with Palestine have been boycotting the fast food chain due to the chain’s links to Israel and its army.
While McDonalds isn’t on the official Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) Movement list of companies to boycott, the BDS has endorsed the social media led movement and supported calls to stop spending money with the business. Many have been boycotting McDonalds since late 2023 after Israeli McDonalds franchises announced it would donate free meals to the Israeli army amid their war on Palestine.
In April 2024 it was announced that McDonalds would buy its 30-year-old Israel franchise from Alonyal, taking back ownership of 225 outlets, amid the social media led boycott. Amid Stormzy’s controversy, he took to his social media page to ‘give people clarity’ on the issue.
Here’s his statement in full:
“Hey guys, I wanted to address some twisted narrative that has been circulating online this past week. Firstly, I didn’t archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of IG posts last year. In that post, I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed.
“The brands I work with can’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to do otherwise I wouldn’t work with them. I do my own research on all brands I work with, gather my own information, form my own opinion and come to my own conclusion before doing
business.
“I’m writing this because I know there are people out there who have supported me and rooted for me who are genuinely confused and hurt by what they think has happened and I want to give those people clarity so I hope this helps. I understand it must feel disappointing and disheartening when it seems like someone you’ve championed has compromised their beliefs for commercial gain but this isn’t the case here.
“Social media and the internet quickly pass judgment without full context. While I want to continue to be open and honest, I prefer not to respond immediately to every misunderstanding or clear up every false narrative that surrounds my name. Lots of love,
Stormz.”
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