Credit: Fugees

Lauryn Hill made headlines over the weekend after performing to a nearly empty stadium in the middle of the night. The singer/rapper was scheduled to take the stage at the 2025 Essence Festival in New Orleans at 12:35am on July 5th, but didn’t perform until two hours later.

By the time she hit the stage, most fans had left the 83,000-capacity Caesars Superdome, with only a few hundred fans remaining to see her perform.

The Fugees member took to Instagram on July 8th to break her silence on the delayed performance and thank the festival for defending her.

“There seems to be a misconception out there that I am somewhere on the Riviera with my feet up, drink in hand, showing up to concerts whenever because I’m too important to care,” she wrote. “That’s nonsense… and anyone who’s been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.

“Those of us who are still out here grinding to present an alternative to the divisive, to the shallow, to the controlled, and to the intentionally limiting narrative of our representation do what it takes to do so. We are here, pushing through the resistance.”

She added, “This will be the last time I’ll allow production challenges to look like the fault is mine alone, when they aren’t.”

Essence Festival released a statement defending Lauryn Hill following her performance, taking credit for the two-hour delay. “Let’s be very clear— WE don’t play about Ms Lauryn Hill,” they wrote. “Not for clicks. Not for headlines. She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can.

“The delay? Not hers. We will take that. The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched. Put some respect on her name. Keep the takes, but keep her out of them.”