Anita Baker Tells Babyface Fans to Stop Trolling Her: ‘Cyber Bullies Will Not Silence Me’
Written by djfrosty on June 13, 2023
Anita Baker was excited to tour with the “Legendary” Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds on her The Songstress outing. That’s how she tagged the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/producer in the tour poster for the 15-date run that began in February.
But after Baby was unexpectedly cut from a May 10 show at the Prudential Center in New Jersey after reported technical issues pushed that night’s start time by two hours — resulting in Edmonds getting yanked from the bill — she said Babyface’s fans have been relentlessly harassing and trolling her.
“I am truly sorry to my fans who have been waiting for us to hit the stage this evening at the Prudential Center,” Babyface wrote at the time. “I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety. My band an I are extremely saddened we didn’t get to perform for y’all tonight.”
The badgering has clearly gotten under Baker’s skin, as evidence by a dayslong tweet spree from the 65-year-old “Sweet Love” singer, who has made two things clear: Babyface was the opening act on her tour and she’s had it with the nonsense. “When A friend, is being attacked, by Your friends?… because, of Mis-information/fake news And, You have an Opportunity, to Say Something/Correct it? … It’s A Nice, thing. … It’s the Right thing to do. Reputation, Peace & Safety Matters,” Baker tweeted on June 9th along with a GIF of cartoon mouse Jerry (of Tom & Jerry fame) shaking a baby bird’s hands.
Things got heated over the weekend when Baker upped the ante, tweeting, “Out of Kindness & Community, you Gift them $200k worth of Production/that YOU Pay for… And, Still, they Complain & hold up, the show Annnd, Slander & *Villanize, Your name to social media blogs & press #Massa&Plantation.”
She doubled-down a bit later on Sunday, adding, “It was 9:30pm. *Contractually?… It was WAAAY Past time 4 the Headline Performer, to be On Stage/Anita Baker Support Act did Not Perform. I have No Contract with Support Act Not my Call I Did what i was *Contracted 2 do & Love, as Headline Performer, of my Sold Out Concert.”
The dust-up appeared to stem from Babyface fans who assumed the singer was co-headlining the tour — Baker’s first in nearly 28 years — and that she had made the decision to scotch his set, though the dates were clearly labelled as a celebration of her four decades in music.
Baker’s gloves really came off on Monday, when she seemed to lose patience with the trolling from the fans she dubbed “Kenny’s Crazies” and asked the singer to step in and call them off. “Dearest one. You are Not, privy to *The Contracts*. Yes, Babyface is Special Guest/Support Act, on My Tour,” she tweeted. “This False Narrative, of A Co-headliner is creating Unrealistic Expectations & Aggression, from his fans towards me. He should tell you guys, the Truth.”
She continued to troll the trollers for wanting to “fight a 65 yr. old Woman,” and then seemed to take the fight to another level, writing, “#And, here is what its All about… P.R. for One Person, whi [sic] needs it. And one person who does not,” before adding, “YES… Cyber Bullies, will not Silence me. I will continue to speak.”
Baker appeared to run out of patience around midday Monday, when she again asked Edmonds to tell his fans to stop while suggesting that someone behind the scenes was ginning Baby’s fans up, writing, “There is A White man, behind these Grown Black Men… harassing Me & Gaslighting, My Fans. Because he Cant take over, this Tour… sO? He wants to Destroy it. Kenny’s Crazy Narcissist call off, your Boys.”
At press time it did not appear that Babyface had reacted to Baker’s tweets and a spokesperson for the singer had not returned a request for comment.
Baker’s tour commemorates 40 years in the music game and the anniversary of her debut album, 1983’s The Songstress. The tour dates also mark the first time the Ohio native is performing her classics live since winning back the right of her masters in 2021 with the help of Chance the Rapper. The next scheduled date on the tour is June 30 at the United Center in Chicago
See Baker’s tweets below.