Former lover of pop star Taylor Swift and member of “The 1975”, Matty Healy, has been sued for a hefty amount of compensation by Future Sound Asia, the organizer of the “Good Vibes” music festival in Malaysia, after he kissed a man onstage.
According to BBC and other foreign media on August 12th, Future Sound Asia has filed a lawsuit demanding 12.3 million Malaysian ringgits (about 2.7 million USD) in compensation from the UK band “The 1975”. It is known that the band participated in the music festival “Good Vibes”, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, last month.
The lawyers for Future Sound Asia argued, “The band’s actions constitute a breach of contract,” claiming, “The contract states that performers must adhere to all local regulations and laws on stage.”
In particular, Matty Healy sparked controversy during the aforementioned festival when he suddenly stated, “I don’t want to perform in a country that hates homosexuality,” before turning to kiss a male member who was standing beside him.
30 minutes later, Healy stepped down from the stage, telling the audience that he had just been banned from entering Kuala Lumpur. As a consequence, the “Good Vibes” music festival was also canceled.
In Malaysia, homosexuality is considered a crime which can lead to up to 20 years of imprisonment, reported BBC. Thus, Healy’s performance received criticism as an “attention-seeking” act that makes life harder for the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, regarding the 2.7 million won lawsuit, Future Sound Asia stated that if the band does not comply, they will take legal action in British courts.
On the other hand, Matty Healy and Taylor Swift are said to have broken up in June after being romantically linked for about 2 months.
