00:00A growing list of celebrities are backing out of the Freedom 250 concert series in Washington,
00:04D.C. after concerns over the event's political ties.
00:08Country star Martina McBride became the latest performer to withdraw from the event, celebrating
00:13America's 250th birthday.
00:15The singer announced that she would no longer appear at the President Trump-affiliated Freedom
00:19250 Presents, the great American state fair.
00:22In a statement posted to Instagram, McBride said she was originally told the event would
00:26be non-partisan and focused on celebrating all 50 states through music.
00:31She wrote, quote,
00:32I was presented with the opportunity to perform at a non-partisan event, but that turned out
00:37to be misleading.
00:38McBride explained that she had asked multiple questions before agreeing to participate and
00:42believed the festival would help bring people together through music.
00:45But according to the singer, yesterday things started changing and what we were told is,
00:50in fact, not what is happening.
00:51The Independence Day singer also said she was concerned that fans might feel she was abandoning
00:56the values reflected in her music.
00:58McBride had been scheduled to perform on June 25th, the opening night of the festival, which
01:03is set to take place on the National Mall with concerts, military tributes, and patriotic-themed
01:08events.
01:09But she's not the only artist stepping away.
01:11Rock singer Bret Michaels also dropped out of the lineup and shared similar concerns in
01:16a statement on Instagram.
01:18Michaels said the event was originally pitched to his team as a celebration honoring veterans,
01:22active military members, first responders, teachers, and hardworking Americans from all
01:28walks of life.
01:29But he claimed the event has since become much more divisive than what he initially agreed
01:33to participate in.
01:34Other acts that have reportedly pulled out include Young MC, Morris Day, and the Commodores.
01:39At the same time, several performers are still standing by the event.
01:43Those artists include Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, and C&C Music Factory.
01:47There was also confusion after Milli Vanilli was announced as part of the lineup.
01:51Singer Jody Rocco, one of the original studio vocalists connected to the group, said neither
01:56she nor any other member had been asked to participate.
01:59But surviving Milli Vanilli frontman Fab Morvin confirmed he still plans to perform.
02:04Morvin said in a statement, quote,
02:06I'm here to entertain and unite people, not divide them.
02:09Meanwhile, a representative for Vanilla Ice told the Associated Press that the rapper is
02:13proud to help celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
02:17Freedom 250 was launched by President Trump last year and described itself as a national,
02:22nonpartisan organization, leading the celebration of the country's 250th birthday.
02:27The Great American State Fair is scheduled to run from June 25th to July 10th and will feature
02:32concerts, state showcases, and themed programming tied to veterans, faith, and health initiatives.
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