Credit: Alamy

British rapper Stormzy has released a statement addressing the backlash he has recently received from fans. The controversy arose following a deleted pro-Palestine social media post amid his current promotional partnership with McDonald’s.

The fast food chain initially sparked controversy after it was alleged that the franchise in Israel gave out thousands of free meals to Israeli forces and citizens following the attack from Hamas back in October.

At the time, CEO Chris Kempczinski denied the speculation and ties to Israel, saying that any such claim was rooted in “misinformation”. He expounded that the claims were entirely “disheartening and ill-founded”.

The corporation’s latest move to unveil a Stormzy meal drew mixed reactions from its fans. It arrived at a time when a campaign for a complete boycott was in action. Stormzy’s endorsement of the fast food chain drew particular scrutiny as the rapper had previously posted about being pro-Palestine on his social media. These posts have since been deleted.

As attention to his now-deleted post grew, many branded his move tasteless and offensive, while former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged him to end the collaboration to demonstrate his political position.

In a new statement, the rapper labelled the backlash a “twisted narrative” and explained that, while he understood why some were “hurt” and “confused” by his latest move, he prefers to remain silent until he shares his further views on the matter.

“Hey guys, I wanted to address some twisted narrative that has been circulating online this past week,” he wrote on Instagram, continuing, “Firstly, I didn’t archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of IG posts last year. In that post, I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed.”

He also said that the brands he chooses to work with don’t govern what he does on social media and beyond, and if they did, he wouldn’t opt to strike up collaborative deals with them. Doubling down on his views, he explained he felt the need to share the statement because he wanted “to give [fans] clarity.”

The rapper concluded, “Social media and the internet quickly pass judgment without full context. While I want to continue to be open and honest, I prefer not to respond immediately to every misunderstanding or clear up every false narrative that surrounds my name.”

As of yet, he has not commented further on the matter.