Vicky Vox backtracks after accusing Katy Perry of ‘unpaid’ work for drag artists
Updated: A drag artist has backtracked after accusing Katy Perry of offering “unpaid” work to drag artists for her video.
Vicky Vox sent a tirade of tweets saying that Perry had “begged” drag artists to perform in the video, which was two days of filming.
Vox wrote: “There’s a pop star begging drag queens to do a music video for two days with no pay, they own costumes and all.
“It wasn’t until we all said NOPE… that they said maybe there might be some budget.”
Going on, Vox said: “You were going to USE them for your gain. Then say maybe when they say their time is valuable … you say maybe … NO!”
Adding: “Drag queens should not have to beg you to value them. Not only is it insulting you asked them to value themselves as worthless…”
The LA-based queen went on to say that some had said they would perform for free, including some who had appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
She wrote: “HOWEVER, apparently drag race girls said they’d do it for free… and local girls said respect my time. Fame chasers vs paper chasers”
Adding: “Yes, I have receipts. I also don’t think the person whose video this is would be doing this on purpose. But, really tho, SHE KNOWS BETTER.”
Vox also tweeted that she would be more willing to perform for free for “exposure” if she earned more.
“To clarify, u can afford to do things for “exposure” when U have more zeros after a comma on your pay check. No shade. Truly. Do u. #iwish ”
But she said Perry should “know better” and mocked people who said she should have done the video for “exposure” alone.
“Don’t get it twisted. I have worked for free. I will probably do so again. Especially for a charity, an actual friend, or because I want to.”
But Vox has since backtracked, tweeting: “Turns out they had money for the for the girls. They were even going to fly girls in. It was Jason King, Valentina’s manager, lying.”
This is not the first drag-related controversy Perry has been involved in this year.
Earlier this year she and rap trio Migos denied reports that the rappers had refused to work with drag artists on an SNL performance.
A now deleted report on World of Wonder which went to several other media outlets had claimed that despite drag queens being heavily featured on the Swish Swish performance, the performance of Bon Appetit had a reduced number of queens due to demands by Migos.
Fans earlier this month expressed their outrage after Katy Perry released a single with Migos, after they were accused of homophobic remarks.
The song, Bon Appetit, came out just six weeks after Perry was awarded Human Rights Campaign’s national equality award for her LGBT advocacy work.
In a speech to the audience in Los Angeles, the musician spoke about her own sexual experiences with women and the meaning behind her 2008 song I Kissed A Girl.
Newly-out rapper Makonnen this year opened up about his decision to come out – and fired back at homophobic critics.
