In January 2023, rapper Ice Spice revealed during an interview with Elle that she was a fan of The 1975. “I listen to alternative music. I feel like a lot of people wouldn’t expect that,” she said. “Shout out to Coldplay, The 1975 [I’m] obsessed with them.” Days later, Healy was asked if he knew about the young talent during a since-deleted episode of “The Adam Friedland Show” podcast. However, instead of having an appropriate conversation, the titular host made racist jokes about the rapper. Healy quickly drew criticism from fans for laughing at offensive remarks and engaging in a back-and-forth with the host.
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He was also slammed by singer Rina Sawayama, who called him out before her performance of “STFU” at Glastonbury 2023. “I wrote this next song because I was sick and tired of these microaggressions,” she exclaimed. “So tonight, this goes out to a white man that… mocks Asian people on a podcast.” In response to the backlash, Healy apologized to Ice Spice during a concert in New Zealand. “I never meant to hurt anybody. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I’m sorry,” he explained. Months after Healy’s apology, Ice Spice broke her silence during a September 2023 interview with Variety. “When I had heard that little podcast or whatever, I was so confused,” she explained. While the incident was disheartening, she told the news outlet that Healy apologized to her at a Jean Paul Gaultier party.
