Photo credit: Brandy Hornback
Artist Lauryn Hill has publicly responded to backlash surrounding her recent late appearance at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture, using lengthy social media message to clarify the situation. According to Consequence, she expressed gratitude to the Essence Fest organizers for owning up to the delay, while also addressing ongoing misunderstandings about her professionalism and dedication to her craft.
During the event’s opening night on July 5th, Hill appeared nearly two hours later than scheduled, not taking the stage until approximately 2:30 a.m. Reports from NOLA.com described the Caesars Superdome as “virtually empty” by the time her performance began. On July 7th, Essence Fest issued a public statement assuming responsibility for the setback.
In her statement, Hill thanked the event for “clarifying that the delays were not my fault” and explained her deep involvement in every component of her live shows. “Family, let me address a few things: I am involved in every aspect of what it takes to put on my shows,” she wrote.
She pointed out that her workload spans multiple departments and that, although she works behind the scenes, it’s out of genuine love for her music and fans. Hill then addressed the narrative that she is typically late. “There seems to be a misconception out there… that’s nonsense,” she wrote. “Anyone who’s been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.”
Hill emphasized, “This IS however the first time a promoter has acknowledged the slip up on their end, (thank you Essence!) and this will be the last time I’ll allow production challenges to look like the fault is mine alone, when they aren’t.”
She also had a strong message for the media, urging accuracy in reporting. “Media, fact check and watch what you irresponsibly put out there — there are consequences for misrepresenting the facts,” she wrote.
Although Hill has faced a long history of tardiness in performances including reports from Wyclef Jean in 2005 and multiple delayed shows during her 2023 anniversary tour, she maintains that her timing issues stem from high artistic standards, not negligence. In earlier posts, she attributed delays to “perfectionist tendencies” and the need to “align [her] energy with the time.”
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