Why did Cornell University cancel Kehlani's concert? University President cites the singer's "anti-Israel sentiments" in official statement
Kehlani was scheduled to perform at Cornell University's annual Slope Day event on May 7, 2025, but the school canceled her from the event after an alleged backlash. Michael Kotlikoff, the university president, shared the reason why they axed the R&B star from his supposed headlining gig on the school's Slope Day celebration in the letter posted to Cornell's website.
He wrote in the Wednesday, April 23, 2025, post under "University Statements:"
"Since Kehlani was announced, I have heard grave concerns from our community that many are angry, hurt, and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media."
While Kotlikoff didn't specify which instances he was referring to, Kehlani is known for her support for Palestine. One unmistakable example of her stance is her Next 3 U music video, which was released last year. The video opened with the words, "Long live intifada," and the singer can be seen dancing in front of a Palestinian flag.
She also ended the video saying that she tried to honor the "thousands of deceased children" from Palestine, but that the list was too long. So, she instead included a link to an Al Jazeera article, which lists around 16,800 children who were reportedly killed by Israel since October 2023.
The Nights Like This singer is also vocal about her opinions of Israel on social media. In a May 2024 video, she called out fellow celebrities for keeping silent about the war in Gaza and said, "F**k Israel, f**k Zionism."
"Injected division and discord": Cornell University says about Kehlani's headlining concert amid news of its cancellation
In Michael Kotlikoff's statement, he mentioned that the announcement of the singer as the headlining act for the annual event "caused division" in their community, which was the opposite of what they were aiming for. He cited it as one of the reasons why the R&B singer's concert was canceled and is now aiming for a new lineup for the Slope Day celebration. He wrote:
"Unfortunately, although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year's headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day. For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani's invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly."
Although the university president noted that they believe that any artist has the right to express their hateful views, they consider Slope Day as an event that should unite communities, not divide them. The latter, he said, was, unfortunately, what happened after the R&B singer was announced as this year's headlining act.
Moreover, Kotlikoff noted that the Gangsta singer's scheduled presence at the event "has compromised what is meant to be an inclusive event." He added that he believed that the school's decision to drop the singer was "the right thing to do" to "ensure community and safety" at the event. Lastly, he said that they will revise their vetting process for artists for such events so the same thing won't happen in the future.
A representative for Kehlani has yet to comment on Cornell's decision to remove her from the Slope Day event.
Read more: What is the court documents drama surrounding Kehlani?
