Poison's Bret Michaels drops out of Freedom 250 after death threats

Poison’s Bret Michaels is the fifth act to pull out performing at the Freedom 250's Great American State Fair in Washington, DC, citing that there are “threats” and “safety concerns” with the event.   

The former lead singer for the band Poison said in a post on Instagram, “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,” he added.



Michaels later said that the decision “isn’t about politics” but “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," he added.

Michaels joins Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores, and Martina McBride on the list of performers who have pulled out over the last few days. Three of the nine acts that were slated to perform have said that they will be going through with the gigs, including Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, and C&C Music Factory. Flo Rida is the only artist yet to comment on the matter.