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Phoebe Bridgers’ Message to Ex-Grammys Boss: ‘Rot in Piss’

She mentioned allegations of sexual assault and his comments telling female artists to “step up.”

Phoebe Bridgers issued a brutal message to the former president of the Recording Academy backstage at the Grammys on Sunday night, telling him to “rot in piss” when he’s dead. After claiming three awards at the ceremony as part of Boygenius, Bridgers cited controversial comments Neil Portnow made in 2018 in which he said women needed “to step up” if they wanted to be nominated for Grammys. She also referred to a lawsuit filed against Portnow by a woman who claimed he drugged and raped her in 2018—Portnow has denied the allegations. “I have something to say about women,” Bridgers told the press room. “The ex-president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, said that if women want to be nominated and win Grammys, that they should ‘step up.’ He’s also being accused of sexual violence. So to him, I’d like to say, ‘I know you’re not dead yet. But when you are, rot in piss.’” Her Boygenius collaborator Julien Baker added: “That’s pretty rock and roll.”