Zara Larsson claimed her joke about abortion cost her a seven-figure paycheck.
“I lost $3 million, which is the biggest brand deal I’d been offered in my life,” the pop star, 28, said in an interview with The Guardian published on Friday, April 3, following widespread backlash over her remark. “I was genuinely like, ‘OK, losers!’”
Last month, a fan posted a video from one of Larsson’s concerts revealing she had an abortion after attending the show.
“I didn’t know I was pregnant here but at least my baby got to hear ‘Midnight Sun’ before I aborted it,” read the March TikTok video’s caption.
Larsson stumbled upon the video and responded, “I killed the performance and then you killed it after the performance purrrrrr.”
After Larsson’s response went viral, the “Lush Life” singer was called out for making light of a controversial topic, which some people found insensitive.
“I’m pro abortions, but making fun of them is not OK,” one fan commented while another responded, “Praying for this generation.”
Despite receiving criticism over her comment, Larsson defended what she wrote at the time.
“Sorry, that’s funny,” she said in a March TikTok video. “Like, I don’t know what to say. That’s funny. Sorry if you don’t have humor.”
Larsson further explained that it wasn’t meant to ruffle feathers because she views it as a form of women’s healthcare.
“I’m not really here to argue with the people who are very against abortions for whatever reason because we’re so fundamentally different in the way we view the world, at least on this topic,” she continued. “I’m not here to convince you guys that abortion is healthcare.”
Larsson also questioned why many people believe abortion is too serious of a subject matter to joke about.
“Why do you feel like abortion is only OK when it’s a very hard decision, when it’s something that women have to struggle with going through, when it’s emotionally or physically painful,” she asked. “Why does that make it morally superior than someone just wanting an abortion for whatever reason? Why is it only morally okay when women have to suffer?”
Looking back on the controversy now, Larsson still stands by her decision to speak her mind.
“The older I get, the less I care,” she told the outlet on Friday.
Larsson has not only been outspoken about abortion, as she’s also advocated for women’s rights and supported Palestine amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. (In 2024, Larsson declined to perform at Eurovision’s halftime show to protest the inclusion of Israel.)
“Maybe pop stars aren’t thought of as people taking a stand,” she shared. “But if you constantly go against your inner compass and morals, you lose yourself as well.”
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