The 1975 Cleared Of Individual Charges In Lawsuit Stemming From Onstage Kiss At Malaysian Festival

A judge in England has cleared all members of the 1975 from personal liability in the dispute with a Malaysian festival over an onstage kiss between frontman Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald. The judge tossed out the claims targeting the four members of the group, ruling that the charges were “bad as a matter of law and there is no reason why” they should go to trial. While the group was cleared of individual liability in the case, the lawsuit can proceed against the 1975’s corporate entity, The 1975 Productions LLP, which signed the contract with the festival. The dispute stems from an incident during the band’s set at the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur in 2023, where Healy was critical of Malaysia’s harsh same-sex relationship laws and he shared a controversial onstage kiss with his bandmate. The gesture resulted in the festival’s complete cancellation, and Future Sounds Asia subsequently brought a breach of contract lawsuit against the band. (Rolling Stone)