Ice Spice Addressed Matty Healy's Podcast Controversy For The First Time, Following Her "Karma" Remix With Taylor Swift

    "Because I heard ‘chubby Chinese lady’ or something like that, and I’m like, ‘Huh? What does that even mean?’ First of all, I’m thick. What do you mean Chinese?" Ice Spice said in response to Matty's comments.

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    Ice Spice addressed Matty Healy's podcast controversy for the first time.

    closeup of her at the vmas in a short lace dress with tights

    For context, Matty appeared on The Adam Friedland Show in February where he made a number of controversial comments, including towards the Bronx-born rapper. In it, Ice was referred to as “one of the Inuit Spice Girls,” a “chubby Chinese lady,” and “a fucking Eskimo," before a range of accents were mocked.

    matt waving to camera at an event

    Matty did end up apologizing for the moment, saying at a 1975 show in April, “I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a dick. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry."

    matty and taylor getting to their car
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    The comments were extensively discussed amid Matty's relationship with Taylor Swift, as the two were linked from May to June of this year. Taylor ended up collaborating with Ice on the remix of her song "Karma," released in late May, but Taylor and Ice have been connected since — most notably sitting together at this year's VMAs.

    ice spice and taylor performing on stage

    Speaking to Variety as their latest cover star, Ice was asked about Matty's comments. Saying that she was (and still is) a fan of the 1975 from when she was a teenager, she replied, “When I had heard that little podcast or whatever, I was so confused."

    closeup of her at an event

    "Because I heard ‘chubby Chinese lady’ or some shit like that, and I’m like, ‘Huh? What does that even mean?’ First of all, I’m thick. What do you mean Chinese? What?" she continued.

    matty playing guitar on stage

    Noting that "then they apologized or whatever," she continued, "the whole time, I didn’t really care. But that’s funny because I saw him at the Jean Paul Gaultier party a couple days ago, and he was like, ‘Hey, you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘Of course.’ He apologized to me a bunch of times. We’re good.”

    ice spice on stage

    When it came to sitting with Taylor at the VMAs, Ice said, “That’s my sis. We was talking about a bunch of things. She’s so funny. We was sipping on a little something something. Just chatting, vibing.” She further explained that they met after she watched the 2020 documentary Miss Americana and that her manager subsequently reached out to Taylor's team, who presented her with the "Karma" remix.

    taylor whispering to ice spice

    Taylor was also interviewed as part of the profile, where she sang her praises as an artist. “I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start,” she said in an email to Variety. “She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize.

    the two laughing in their seats at the vmas

    You can read the full profile with Variety here.

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