After Lauryn Hill closed out the opening night of Essence Festival in the wee hours of Saturday morning, festival organizers shouldered blame for the delay.
On Sunday, Essence shared a statement in defense of the 8x Grammy winner, accepting responsibility after she reportedly finished performing her set at almost 4am for a nearly empty Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“Family is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say,” they captioned a video of her performance. “Let’s be very clear— WE don’t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill. Not for clicks. Not for headlines.”
The statement continued, “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. All love and deep profound admiration for Ms. Lauryn Hill.”
Despite being notorious for arriving late to her own performances over the years, Hill was apparently at the mercy of poor management.
The Fugees alum was quietly added to an already packed lineup just two days before, pushing the entire event behind schedule, according to NOLA.com. She went on at 2:31am, shortly after the stage was ready for her, and finished at 3:37, during which only a few hundred audience members remained. The outlet reported that she kept the nightclub-sized crowd energized until the very end.
