Demi Lovato: Radio host ‘quits show’ rather than stopping jokes about non-binary pop star
Matty Siegel, 71, has hosted his Boston radio show since 1981
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An American radio host has apparently quit his long-running show after he was told not to make jokes about Demi Lovato being non-binary.
Yesterday (19 May), Lovato announced to fans that after “healing and self-reflective work”, they realised that they were non-binary, and will from now on be recognised with the pronouns “they/them”.
After joking about Lovato’s announcement on his Boston radio show Matty in the Morning, presenter Matty Siegel, 71, told his listeners that he was walking away from the programme due to complaints from his management.
Siegel said his bosses at radio station WXKS-FM had told him to “shut up” and “stop talking” following the jokes.
“They pulled the plug on me and they said, ‘You cannot talk about what you’re talking about,’” Siegel claimed. “I like my boss personally. I do. I’m very fond of him, he’s very nice to me. It’s not personal. It’s professional.”
He continued: “I can’t do what I just want to do, which is be a funny comic who tells it like it is about what he’s thinking. So I’m ending my portion of the radio show right now. I don’t care what Demi Lovato does, but now we have to worry about [if] you might offend someone.”
WXKS general manager Alan Chartrand told The Boston Globe that “everything is going to be fine” and that they are hoping to resolve the matter with Siegel, who has hosted his programme since 1981.
“This isn’t the first time he’s threatened this would be the last show,” Chartrand said.
In their statement yesterday, Lovato said changing their pronouns “best represents the fluidity that I feel in my gender expression, and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and still am discovering”.
Lovato had previously said that they had cut off their hair to free themselves from “gender and sexuality norms”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments