Rita Ora Opens Up About Having Same-Sex Relationships in Apology for Controversial ‘Girls’
Days after the release of "Girls" was met with a wave of backlash from LGBTQ+ artists and fans alike, Rita Ora spoke out about her controversial collaboration with Cardi B, Charli XCX and Bebe Rexha.
On Twitter early Monday morning (May 14), the British pop star opened up about her own romantic same-sex experiences, as well as apologized for "hurting" the LGBTQ+ community.
"'Girls' was written to represent my truth and is an accurate account of a very real and honest experience in my life," Ora wrote, adding that she's previously had "romantic relationships with [both] women and men."
The revelation is one of the few times Ora has explicitly spoken about her sexuality. In 2013, Ora told The Sun that she had taken rumored girlfriend at the time Cara Delevingne "off the market."
"She’s officially mine. She’s, like, untouchable. I’ve taken her off the market. We call each other 'wifey,'" she said. "It’s like your other half. Like when you get married, like, that’s your wife!"
Ora also added that she has "strived to be a contributor to the LGBTQ+ community throughout my entire career and always will be."
"I am sorry [if] how I expressed myself in my song has hurt anyone," she continued. "I would never intentionally cause harm to other LGBTQ+ people or anyone ."
Read her entire statement below:
Ora dropped "Girls" on Friday, May 11. After its release, openly queer artists including Kehlani, Hayley Kiyoko and MUNA decried the track's problematic lyrics, which includes a line about "scissoring," as well as getting drunk on "wine red" and kissing girls.