Sarah McLachlan cancels Lilith Fair Doc Premiere in LA after repping @TIFF50

Sarah McLachlan opted not to perform or appear on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, citing solidarity with free speech following Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. Ahead of the screening, she addressed the audience and announced that she and the other scheduled acts would not take the stage, apologizing for the change and framing it as a collective decision made “in support of free speech.” In conjunction with her withdrawal, organizers also cancelled the red carpet appearance originally planned for that evening.

“It’s a gift for all of us to see but also I’ve grappled with being here tonight and around what to say about the present situation that we are all faced with, the stark contraction to the many advances we’ve made watching the insidious erosion of women’s rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech,” McLachlan was quoted in the Hollywood Reporter as saying.

When Jimmy Kimmel’s show was reinstated, McLachlan appeared as the musical guest on the first episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following its return. She delivered a piano-driven performance of her song “Better Broken” without public comment on the prior controversy.

Earlier, the documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where McLachlan did attend and was photographed on the red carpet. Her presence at TIFF contrasted with her absence from the L.A. premiere as she balanced her role as a subject of the film and her stance in the broader dispute. FERNTV had the luxury of seeing her as well as Kathleen Edwards on the red carpet premiere at TIFF.

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@ferntv Sarah McLachlan at the red carpet premiere of Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery @TIFF 50 #womeninmusic #tiff #saramclachlan #music #film ♬ Building A Mystery – Sarah McLachlan

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