Matty Healy deactivates Twitter account after ableist joke about Boygenius

Matty Healy has deactivated his X/Twitter account after making an ableist joke in connection to the indie supergroup, Boygenius.

On Thursday (21 September), the 1975 frontman, 34, tweeted from his burner account under the username @Mattyfrnglomg.

“I told Lucy Dacus that ‘Boygenius’ had inspired me and George [Daniel] to start a new band called ‘Girlr*****’. I don’t really hear from her that often,” wrote Healy, who is friends and a frequent collaborator with Dacus’s Boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers.

Responding to the British singer-songwriter’s message, the 28-year-old Dacus said: “You don’t hear from me at all.”

“Yeah this never goes well does it,” Healy wrote before deactivating his account.

The Independent has contacted Healy’s representative for comment.

Last month, The 1975 were sued for £2m by the organisers of a Malaysian music festival for allegedly breaking the terms of their contract.

In July, the British band were performing at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur when their set was cut short after Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald onstage while criticising the country’s strict, anti-LGBT+ laws.

Malaysia’s government called the band “extremely rude”, adding that they would not be permitted to perform in the country again. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that the government had “called the organisers” of the festival, which was then cancelled outright.

The Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital also said The 1975 had been blacklisted under a body that oversees foreign artists playing in Malaysia.

The organisers of the festival, Future Sound Asia (FSA), alleged that the band had given “a pre-show written assurance” that they would adhere to “all local guidelines and regulations” and should “acknowledge their liability and compensate FSA for damages incurred”.

FSA claimed that Healy was to blame for the event cancellation due to his “abusive language, equipment damage and indecent stage behaviour”, and the organisation’s lawyers confirmed to the Press Association that they are asking for £2,099,154.54 to be paid in compensation.

The following week (16 August), legal counsel for FSA confirmed that the resolution process was “now in progress”.

“We are able to confirm that our lawyers have received communication from the band’s solicitors and we are continuing to pursue the matter, as per our earlier statement,” David Matthew said.