Singer hits back at report linking her to Kneecap row, calling it false and divisive clickbait

Dua Lipa has fiercely rejected claims that she fired an agent for his stance against Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, branding the story “categorically false” and accusing the press of deliberately fuelling division.

The controversy began when Mail Online reported that the British-Albanian star had parted ways with veteran agent David Levy after learning he had signed a letter urging Glastonbury organisers to drop Kneecap from the festival line-up.

According to the report, Levy had joined other music industry figures in writing to Emily Eavis, calling for the removal of the pro-Palestine group following charges against one of its members. The article suggested Lipa’s decision to part ways was directly tied to the letter.

However, both Lipa and her agency WME have now dismissed the claim outright. WME confirmed Levy had not represented the singer since 2019, years before the Kneecap row, and had only served in an advisory role until earlier this year.

In a strongly worded Instagram story, Lipa accused the publication of manufacturing outrage:

“Not only was the story completely false but the language used by the Daily Mail has been deliberately inflammatory, crafted purely for clickbait, clearly designed to fuel online division.”

She added:

“It is always Free Palestine, but exploiting a global tragedy in order to sell newspapers is something I find deeply troubling.”

WME echoed her frustration, stating:

“Reports suggesting that Dua Lipa or her management dismissed one of our agents because of his political views are categorically false.”

While acknowledging Levy’s role in Lipa’s early career, the agency clarified that his professional involvement had ended long before the current controversy erupted.

The row comes as Kneecap continue to stir political debate. Their performance at Glastonbury went ahead despite the letter, and the group used the stage to lead chants of “F*** Keir Starmer” after the prime minister criticised their appearance.

The original letter to Glastonbury, which surfaced through former BBC DJ Toddla T, followed serious legal trouble for Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh. He was charged with a terror offence in 2024 after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a gig. He has denied the charge, saying he picked up the flag without realising what it represented. He is due in court on 26 September to learn whether his case will proceed to trial.

Meanwhile, Kneecap have also faced international restrictions. Just this week, they were denied entry to Canada over accusations of “glorifying terrorist organisations”. The band called the claims “wholly untrue and deeply malicious” and vowed to pursue legal action.

Lipa has been outspoken on Middle Eastern politics and has consistently condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. Earlier this year, she described airstrikes on displacement camps as an “Israeli genocide” and urged her millions of followers to “show solidarity with Gaza”.

Her latest statement, however, makes clear that while she remains vocal about Palestine, she refuses to let fabricated stories about her professional life distort the debate. By dismissing the report as “clickbait” and “divisive,” she reinforced her position as both a high-profile artist and a politically engaged public figure unwilling to be dragged into false narratives.

Mail Online has since updated its original article to reflect her denial and WME’s statement.

For Lipa, the damage-control moment may also highlight how celebrity voices on Palestine are increasingly scrutinised, misrepresented, or weaponised in media battles. But her message to fans was unambiguous: this story was false, inflammatory, and designed to pit people against one another.