Donald Trump’s failing Freedom 250 musical event, which even he wants to see canceled, has lost another headline act.
Musicians were quick to distance themselves from the string of concerts because of the event’s links to Trump and his MAGA movement.
The president even suggested on Truth Social that he might headline the show himself—boasting that he could draw a bigger crowd than Elvis Presley—while calling the “highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’” booked for the MAGA party “boring.”
Only rappers Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, and Freedom Williams from C+C Music Factory remain on the lineup from the original nine acts announced last week to perform at the Great American State Fair. The event is due to take place on the National Mall between June 25 and July 10, as part of the celebrations of America’s 250th birthday.
The latest to withdraw is Vanilli member Fab Morvan, who confirmed to CNN on Monday he has also pulled out.
Morvan said he first began to experience concern when rapper Young MC said he would not be performing. He cited the political shadow over the event, just hours after being announced on the lineup.
“What does he know that I don’t know? I was a little worried,” Morvan told Laura Coates. “And one after the next, people started to leave. But I was told by my team, who was told by another team, there’s no political entanglement, there’s no political alignment. It’s just a free show for the people.”
Other artists who canceled include Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, The Commodores, and Morris Day and The Time.
While Morvan still wanted to take fans down “memory lane,” he admitted he had a change of heart after watching the string of cancellations.
“Throughout the week, it turned into a circus. And this is not what I signed for. I’m here to... bring people together with music. I’m not into politics. So you hear it first here. I’m not attending [the] celebration.”
Morvan initially refused to take the bait about the president’s insults about the artists booked to play at his State Fair, but added “It’s one of the reasons why I’m stepping out because I didn’t sign [up] for that. Now I hear the president of the United States talking about all the people who pulled out. Well, it is what it is. Life will go on, but I won’t be on that stage.”
Vanilla Ice, whose last hit was “Ice Ice Baby” in 1990, told CNN earlier on Monday that he was still happy to play the State Fair.
“All we’re doing is celebrating the birthday of our country,” the rapper said. “What’s the big deal here? And as far as entertainers, I don’t think it’s fair to put any of us on a pedestal like that, as far as politics goes, because it shouldn’t matter.”
Ice said he would play for “Biden’s family or anybody. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about just enjoying music. There’s fans everywhere.”
The rapper has previously played at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
After being played Vanilla Ice’s comments, Morvan said he believed the event is political due to Trump’s involvement and influence over it.
“When you enter the political realm and you’re being pinned against another, that is not fair,” Morvan said. “This is not what we signed up for. I’m very knowledgeable about politics, and I know how politics works. It’s a game of chess where everyone is trying to move, is trying to move its piece and using others as pawns. I don’t want to be part of that. This is why I’m stepping out, in peace.”
Morvan also discussed changing his “narrative” from being part of the duo who lost their Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990 due to the revelation they had lip synced on their hits, including 1989’s “Baby Don’t Forget My Number.”
After a Paramount documentary in 2023, which discussed the 1998 drug overdose death of his former musical partner Rob Pilatus, Morvan is now actually singing live in concert and has revived the Milli Vanilli name for himself.
A separate band, composed of performers who actually sang on the Milli Vanilli songs, also tours and had originally distanced themselves from the Freedom 250 event, although Morvan’s face was used on the advertising for the event.
“I have a very special story: I fell, I stood back up, I reinvented myself and I’ve moved forward,” Morvan told CNN. “So when you fall into a storm like this one, all I can do and say is... this is not what I signed for. I know what it’s like to have a narrative being changed over and over until you don’t recognize this narrative.”
While Flo Rida has yet to make a public comment on his appearance at the MAGA event, he shared a message on Instagram on Monday that seemed to reference the controversy.
“Regardless of all the noise in the world we can still choose every day to be positive and share the good news. To smile, or be polite and brighten someone’s day. No matter who says what, be positive and be ready to bless someone’s day. You don’t even have to talk or make a major statement. It’s what you do every day that counts.”
Freedom Williams has now deleted a video filmed in his bathroom from his Instagram account where he explained the backlash to the event made him more determined to perform.
The Daily Beast has contacted Freedom 250 for comment.
