Charli xcx addressed mounting criticism Saturday regarding an afterparty held in Berlin following the premiere of her mockumentary, The Moment, acknowledging she was unaware of apparent Russian ties connected to the event’s organizer.
The controversy erupted after critics alleged the party was organized by a DJ with familial connections to a foundation backed by the Russian government, according to a report by Forbes. Charli xcx responded to the allegations via an Instagram Story, stating she had no prior knowledge of the organizer’s background.
The Moment, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival after a debut at Sundance last month, offers a mockumentary look at the complexities of pop stardom. The film stars Charli xcx alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Rosanna Arquette, Hailey Benton Gates, Jamie Demetriou, Rachel Sennott, Kate Berlant, Rish Shah and Kylie Jenner.
At the Berlin premiere, Charli xcx indicated she is ready to move beyond her “Brat” era, declaring it “over, full stop.” She elaborated on the emotional toll of the “Brat” project, noting the shift in meaning art takes on once released to a wide audience. “When you release art into the world, and it reaches a wide audience…the work begins to sort of morph and change in its meaning,” she said at a press conference, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “I’d never experienced it at the scale before, and it left me sort of thinking a lot about how we communicate art.”
The Berlin Film Festival premiere was described as energetic, with fans greeting Charli xcx with enthusiastic support. Attendees at the screening received Howard Stirling “Brat” bank cards, an inside joke referencing the film, according to Variety.
Despite the positive reception to The Moment, the afterparty controversy has drawn scrutiny. Charli xcx’s statement on Instagram acknowledged the criticism but did not offer further details regarding the organizer or the nature of the alleged ties.
The musician also stated she is “kind of open to ideas” regarding her next career move, though she quickly added, “But not really!” She confirmed she is currently starring in a handful of films and recently released a concept album based on Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
