Why has The 1975 been sued for $2.4 million? Internet reacts to charges filed over onstage kiss at Malaysian concert

Future Sound Asia, the organizers of the Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia, have sued the pop rock band The 1975 for $2.4 million. The lawsuit alleges that the band refused to comply with Malaysia's anti-LGBTQ laws and other regulations during their performance in July 2023.

The band had previously agreed to follow these rules, which were set by the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL).

The Good Vibes Festival was also shut down in Kuala Lumpur due to the actions of The 1975 last year. This happened after band member Matty Healy kissed Ross MacDonald on stage and it led to criticism from the Malaysian government, saying that they won't allow the band to perform in their country in the future.

The moment of Healy kissing MacDonald was also criticized by the LGBT+ community of Malaysia, saying that his action could lead to problems, exposing them to the stigma prevailing around the country. While speaking to The Independent, a source close to the band said that Healy is a supporter of the LGBT+ community and the band was willing to take a stand for them.

While details of the lawsuit against The 1975 went viral on different platforms, netizens took to the comments section of a tweet posted by @concertleaks to share their reactions to the charges emerging out of the kiss between Matty and Ross.

People specifically expressed their criticism towards the lawsuit in their reactions.

"May Matty wins that lawsuits. Homophobia deserve nothing!", a user wrote.

"How homophobic do you have to be to sue someone for kissing", another user wrote.

""Good vibes" festival suing for two men kissing", a third user wrote.

Other users were spotted criticizing Malaysia for the lawsuit.

"Malaysia is so gay for that", a reaction reads.

"Wtf let the homies kiss", another reaction reads.

"And y'all act like homophobia isn't alive and thriving", a third reaction reads.

Users even supported Matty Healy in the reactions alongside referring to the title of the festival.

"And they call it Good Vibes???", a reaction stated.

"They making Matty pay everything', another reaction stated.

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The 1975 broke multiple rules during their performances in Malaysia: Lawsuit and charges explained

The lawsuit against The 1975 claims their actions led to the shutdown of the Good Vibes Festival last year. The organizers, who paid the band $350,000, said they were repeatedly reminded of the rules before arriving in Malaysia. PUSPAL initially hesitated to let the band perform due to an article about lead singer Healy's drug addiction and recovery. The band had to promise to follow all rules and regulations to get permission to perform.

Despite making a promise, The 1975 started breaking the rules and reportedly tried to arrange a bottle of wine for Healy which he could consume easily without being spotted by anyone. The lawsuit accused Healy of smoking cigarettes and vomiting on stage alongside spitting frequently towards the public.

While the PUSPAL officers attempted to stop the band's performance, Matty Healy started reacting aggressively and allegedly began swearing at everyone. Healy's managers eventually stepped in and controlled him before things took a worse turn.

The band was reportedly planning to perform on a different setlist so that they could "breach the guidelines" and Healy made a controversial speech, speaking up against the anti-LGBTQ laws of the country. Videos of the speech also went viral where Healy said that there was no point in inviting the band to Malaysia and telling them "who we can have s*x with." He continued:

"I am sorry if that offends you and you're religious and it's part of your f*cking government, but your government are a bunch of f*cking r*****s and I don't care anymore. If you push, I am going to push back. I am not in the f*cking mood, I'm not in the f*cking mood."

As a result of the issues created by The 1975, the license of Future Sound Asia was also revoked. The band performed for only 30 minutes before their performance was suspended and communications minister Fahmi Fadzil posted a tweet at the time, saying that the group's behavior was rude. Fadzil added that there would be no compromise against anyone who challenges their laws.

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The 1975 has released six major projects in their career, starting with the self-titled debut album in 2013. The group's latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, came out back in 2022.