Bret Michaels Exits Freedom 250 Show + Explains Why

Bret Michaels has declared that he will not perform at the recently announced Freedom 250 concert series in Washington, D.C.

"Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of," the Poison frontman explained in a lengthy social media post. "Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable."

Michaels is the latest in a fast-growing wave of artists who have backed out of the planned June and July concert series since it was announced on Wednesday. Morris Day and the Time, Young MC, the Commodores and Martina McBride had previously canceled their appearances.

Similar to Michaels, the other departing artists have stated that they were misled about the partisan nature of the Freedom 250 series, which was set up by a private/public partnership founded by President Donald J. Trump.

“I had no clue it was considered a ‘Trump-backed’ event, so that was new to me,” Young MC told Rolling Stone. “My whole thing was ‘tell me what the event is, what it’s about, who you are, and then give me the choice of whether I want to do the event or not.’ I was never given that choice. I was told one thing and then it was a bait-and-switch. All the comments I’ve seen from the artists that have dropped out thought it was supposed to be a regular show in D.C.”

Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan are the only two of the nine originally announced artists who have confirmed that they will still perform during the Freedom 250 series. Rapper Flo Rida has yet to comment, and as for C+C Music Factory, well... see for yourself.

You can read Michaels' complete statement below:

Hello to all my awesome friends & fans,
I wanted to jump on here real quick and talk about the upcoming Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C.
When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life. As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support.
As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes. My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours.
Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.
Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.
I believe in our country, in the freedoms we’re afforded, and in the idea that for over 250 years we have gone through both highs and lows together and remained resilient. Music is a universal language that unites us, not divides us. Just like it did when I entertained a record-breaking crowd of over 100,000 at the St. Louis Arch for an Independence Day celebration with people from across the country who came together to honor our freedoms through music. The focus was on the music, the fans and celebrating together.
I will continue to proudly support our veterans, active military members, teachers, first responders and the organizations that serve them, just as I always have.
I also want my amazing fans in Washington, D.C. to know that I love you all, and I fully intend to come back and perform in our nation’s capital under circumstances where the focus can remain on what it should be - the music and the fans.
In the meantime, we’ll keep the Live & Amplified Tour rocking, and I look forward to seeing all of you out on the road soon.
This is said with much love, gratitude, and respect.
Your friend,
Bret
(A lead singer with long texting issues)