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Ashley Simpson recalls the backlash she received in 2004 after becoming famous for lip-syncing at a Saturday night live show.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times released on Tuesday, August 26th, the “Me” singer discussed how “struggling” can be for her.
“I had something very high and then I was super low in SNL,” Simpson, 40, told the publication. “For me, it was so unpleasant to me because I lost my voice? It was such an inhuman feeling because I had to remember who I was and why I was doing this.”
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She continued: “People’s perception of you aren’t who you are. You learn that you were at a young age – it was intense.”
According to Simpson, her 2005 album I Am Me would not have been “raw” enough to have not happened to the SNL incident.
“I’m happy it was because it got deeper. It’s also darker. My skin is thicker but very fragile,” she said.
Simpson added: “When you’re facing so trauma, when the world is looking at young girls like this, you keep hiding and fighting. And I just keep going.”
The “Lara” artist recently met the world with Rider Strong, Daniel Fischel and Will Friedle, reflecting the backlash he faced after his 2004 SNL appearance on the pod episode on Thursday, August 21st.
When asked by 44-year-old Fishel about the public scrutiny he received during his performance, Simpson revealed whether he thought she would have faced the same level of criticism if the situation today happened.
“I think it’s a different era… I think bullying was insane during that time,” she said.
At the time, Simpson felt he needed to explain himself to people. “But then, for my life, I had to say to people, ‘Oh, but I play every night.’ My fans needed to know that in my heart,” she said.
Simpson admitted that she has “ups and downs like every other person.”
She believes the internet’s response to celebrities’ mistakes has changed, but “but that’s not the case in some ways.”
“I think it’s different now. For us, we had this magazine and it. Now everything’s getting even more fleeting,” Simpson continued.
The fallout from the 204 performance felt like it was on one person’s “forever shoulder,” adding, “I think now everything is a little fleeting and fast.”
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In 2004, Simpson, who was 20 at the time, became the first musician to come out of a performance at SNL. Before singing what was supposed to be her performance’s second song, “Autobiography,” her hit single, “Pieces of Me,” performed before lifting the microphone into her mouth.
At the time, Simpson seemed confused before sneaking up on stage dancing a jig. Her band continued to perform while the show was cut into commercials.
Before the credits rolled, the “shadow” performer tried to explain himself. But soon, she faced a lot of backlash due to her performance and decision to lip sync. She is attributed to the recent flare-up of acid reflux affecting her voice.
