Ludmilla is criticized for alleged religious intolerance and defends herself: ‘Don’t put me in that place’

Ludmilla’s performance at Coachella, in the USA, this Sunday (21), gave something to talk about. But not because of the music. At a certain point during the performance, the Brazilian artist displayed the following phrase on a screen: “Only Jesus expels Tranca Rua from people”.

The moment quickly went viral. Many people have accused her of religious intolerance. The expression supposedly refers to a phalanx or grouping of Exus, spiritual entities of the Umbanda and Candomblé religions.

On social media, fans were angry. “Religious intolerance is a pillar that affects many people, especially in communities, and reinforcing this bias in a space of international visibility was not cool. Associating African-based entities with evil was ugly and disrespectful,” said a follower. “Is it that difficult to admit that you made a mistake and apologize?” asked another follower.

Through X (formerly Twitter), Ludmilla defended herself and denied that she had attacked any religion. “When I said you guys would have to go out of your way to talk bad about me, I didn’t think you’d go this far,” she began.

“They took out of context one of the images from the video on the screen of the show Rainha da Favela, which brings different records of spaces and realities that I grew up and lived in for many years, wanting to rewrite the meaning of it, and putting myself in a position that is completely contrary mine,” he added.

In another part of the outburst, Ludmilla asks people to stop making unfounded criticisms. “Don’t put me in that place, you know who I am and where I came from. Don’t try to limit where I go. I respect all people as they are, regardless of any faith, race, gender, sexuality or any particularity that makes them unique.”