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Troye Sivan Responds to Controversy Around Tour's Opening Act

Fans are criticizing the singer for inviting Kim Petras on tour given her support of music producer Dr. Luke.

Last week, Troye Sivan announced he will embark on a 27-city North American tour in support of his forthcoming album, Bloom, with rising acts Kim Petras, Leland, and Carlie Hanson opening.

Some fans are questioning Sivan's decision to bring Petras on the road given controversial statements the singer made in an interview with NME last month about working with music producer Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, pop singer Kesha’s alleged abuser.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 19: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Singer/songwriter Kim Petras visits Music Choice on March 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

In 2014, Kesha filed a lawsuit against Gottwald claiming he sexually assaulted her.

Petras defended working with Dr. Luke telling NME, "I would like my fans to know that I wouldn't work with somebody I believe to be an abuser of women, definitely not."

After seeing the backlash to the tour announcement, Petras released a statement on Twitter.

"While I've been open and honest about my positive experience with Dr. Luke, that does not negate or dismiss the experience of others or suggest that multiple perspectives cannot exist at once," Petras wrote. "I want to say I'm sorry to anyone I upset."

Last night, Sivan tweeted his own statement acknowledging he was also troubled by Petra's past remarks but would like his fans to support his decision to keep her on the tour's roster.

"I was not aware of some of the comments Kim has made in the past," he wrote. "The opinions communicated...don't align with my personal values or the values of the tour. People mess up, people misspeak. I want to treat Kim the same way I'd like to be treated when my inevitable big mess up comes."

Sivan's Bloom tour kicks off September 21 in Irving, Texas. Sivan plans to donate a portion of the show's proceeds to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) the US’s anti-sexual violence organization and the Ally Coalition.

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