This past week controversy surrounded the singer Lizzo after her DNA test was leaked to the press, revealing that she is only 98.63 percent That Bitch (results showed that her remaining genetic makeup is 1.29 percent Vegan and 0.08 percent Ashkenazi). In her song “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo claims that she ‘took a DNA test’ and it turned out that she was ‘100 percent That Bitch,’ however, this claim appears to be exaggerated following the news of the leaked test results.
Many critics have demanded Lizzo issue an apology, arguing that the overstatement of her genetic makeup is offensive to those in the That Bitch community, while others have come to her defense saying that Lizzo’s genetic makeup is still predominantly That Bitch, and for that reason the backlash is an overreaction.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Lizzo admitted to the fact that she took a 23andMe Test prior to writing “Truth Hurts” and knew that she was genetically only 98.63 percent That Bitch, but she adds that, “It was an artistic decision to include the lyrics as I did. To say ‘and it turns out I’m 98.63 percent That Bitch’ just does not have the same ring to it … but the lyrics were never intended to degrade or offend those in the That Bitch community.”
The report comes in the wake of Lizzo’s highly-attended performance at the Sylvee in Madison last Thursday night, and “Truth Hurts” is a commonly played song at parties around campus. Reactions from college students have been mixed, but the controversy has certainly been a topic of conversation on Twitter and other online platforms.
On a parallel note, after the news of her Ashkenazi Jewish heritage was made public, Lizzo has reportedly been invited to at least one Shabbat dinner.
