Pop superstar Taylor Swift has pulled out of a performance at the Melbourne Cup, with animal rights activists taking credit after a campaign to highlight cruelty to racehorses.
The Grammy Award-winner was announced as the headline act for the “race that stops a nation” earlier this month and was due to sing two songs from her latest hit album “Lover”.
But it sparked a backlash on social media and a push by the Campaign for the Protection of Racehorses, which claimed she had “put money before compassion” and was “endorsing animal abuse”.
More than 6,500 people signed an online petition urging her to cancel.
In a statement late Saturday, promotor Mushroom Events cited scheduling issues as the reason for Swift’s no-show.
“Changes to her Asian promo schedule have made it logistically impossible for her to be here,” it said.
The Campaign for the Protection of Racehorses applauded the decision.
“The pressure on Taylor Swift to cancel her performance was significant,” it said on Facebook.
