Matty Healy with THE 1975 , Live Manchester UK

Ice Spice Breaks Silence On Matty Healy's Controversial Comments

Home / Top Stories / Ice Spice Breaks Silence On Matty Healy's Controversial Comments

By Afouda Bamidele on September 29, 2023 at 6:30 AM EDT
Updated on September 29, 2023 at 11:17 AM EDT

Ice Spice has expressed that she and Matty Healy are on good terms following his controversial remarks during a recent podcast interview.

In the podcast, which caused backlash, the frontman of the 1975 alongside hosts Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland discussed the rapper's ethnicity and made derogatory comments about people of Chinese and Hawaiian descent. Healy has since apologized to Spice for using inappropriate terms, including "chubby Chinese lady" and "Inuit Spice Girl" to describe her. 

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Ice Spice Finally Addresses Matt Healy's Controversial Comments About Her Ethnicity, Confirms They're Cool

Since rising to fame late last year, Spice, who is of Dominican and Nigerian descent, has managed to avoid being in the headlines for the wrong reason. However, she was unwittingly drawn into a controversy when Healy appeared on the "The Adam Friedland Show" podcast in February. 

During that podcast, the hosts made racist comments about the "Boy's a Liar pt. 2" artist's heritage and also mimicked her using stereotypical accents. "Yeah, that's what Ice Spice is like," the English singer-songwriter, who also called the 23-year-old "dumb," claimed at the time.

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A backlash ensued, the podcast was removed from streaming services and Healy apologized onstage two months later during a performance in Auckland, New Zealand. The apology was ultimately ignored by Spice, who has been — and still is — a big fan of 1975.

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"When I had heard that little podcast or whatever, I was so confused," she stated about the debacle in a new interview for the latest issue of Variety, featuring her on the cover. The 23-year-old said:

"Because I heard 'chubby Chinese lady' or some shit like that, and I'm like, 'Huh? What does that even mean?' First of all, I'm thick. What do you mean Chinese? What? But then they apologized."

The "Barbie World" rapper explained that "the whole time, I didn't really care," adding, "But that's funny because I saw him at the Jean Paul Gaultier party a couple days ago, and he was like, 'Hey, you okay?' and I'm like, 'Of course.' He apologized to me a bunch of times. We're good."

As for Healy's public apology, NBC News reported that he had addressed the Yonkers native directly, saying:

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"I never meant to hurt anybody. I'm sorry if I've offended you and, like, Ice Spice, I'm sorry. It's not because I'm annoyed that me joking got misconstrued, it's 'cause I don't want Ice Spice to think I'm a d---. I love you, Ice Spice. I'm so sorry."

The record producer then stated, "I don't want anything to be misconstrued as mean. I don't mind being a bit of a joker … but I don't want to be perceived as, like, kind of mean-hearted." He addressed the podcast appearance in another interview published in May and dismissed his comments, claiming "it doesn't actually matter."

Matty Healy Seemingly Opened Up On His Heartbreak Recently

Matty Healy with THE 1975 , Live Manchester UK
MEGA

Aside from apologizing for his erroneous Spice comments, Healy also subtly talked about his recent breakup with singer Taylor Swift during a 1975 live show in June. As it turned out, a video of the "I'm in Love With You" hitmaker thanking a concertgoer for a supportive sign at the event had circulated on X — formerly known as Twitter. In the 35-second footage, the pop rocker started his speech:

"The front has some wonderful signs that said 'You are loved.' That was very, very kind of you. I'm sure it's alluding to… as you're aware, I'm not very online at the moment, and I'm sure people are just calling me a c— relentlessly, and I've not been online. But what I have been with is with my boys." 

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As detailed by The Blast, Healy concluded by writing, "Honestly, as much as I appreciate that, it's so beautiful, and I thank you, but I don't need it 'cause I've got them."

Reacting to the honest confession, one fan began in a lengthy statement, "He is so loved, and this whole thing will turn into a positive for him, don't [sic] look like it now, but it will."

They then added that the four-time Brit Awards winner "will be AOK… and this confirms the break-up, in my opinion. He should never give that mess a third chance; third time is not a charm this time!"

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