MIA Said She'd 'Choose Death' Over Vaccine. Now, a New Tiff

Rapper claims 'British Vogue' pulled feature on her over controversial vaccination remark
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2020 7:21 AM CDT
MIA Said She'd 'Choose Death' Over Vaccine. Now, a New Tiff
Recording artist Maya Arulpragasam aka MIA, is seen at the Museum of Modern Art on March 28, 2018, in New York.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Last month, rapper MIA started a bit of a hubbub regarding vaccines in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and she now says her remarks cost her a high-profile magazine feature. At the end of March, the musician also known as Maya Arulpragasam tweeted, "If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I'm gonna choose death." The New York Daily News notes soon after that, many began labeling her an "anti-vaxxer," and now, MIA says British Vogue pulled a story on her because of it. Per Music-News.com, the 44-year-old put up in a now-deleted Instagram post screenshots of a text conversation between herself and an un-IDed person who said, "Hey maya - sadly Edward/vogue has decided to withdraw the offer for vogue spread in August due to vaccination comments," referencing the magazine's editor in chief, Edward Enninful.

In her post, MIA blasted the magazine, noting her advocacy for health care and taking issue with people pushing back on her vaccination views. "Lack of discussion is censorship," she wrote. At the end of March, MIA insinuated people were panicking about the coronavirus; she later tried to clarify, tweeting, "I'm not against vaccines. I'm against companies who care more for profit then humans." British Vogue is staying tight-lipped, with a rep telling the Guardian: "British Vogue supports the NHS and everyone on the front line who are protecting people from the virus and saving lives every day." MIA has also been linked to conspiracy theories on the coronavirus somehow being tied to 5G, tweeting in March, "I think it can confuse or slow the body down in healing process as body is learning to cope with new signals [wavelengths] frequency etc @ same time as Cov." (More MIA stories.)

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