Internet divided as Pheobe Bridgers tells ex-Grammy CEO Neil Portnow to 'rot in piss' over remark on women

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Phoebe Bridgers is no stranger to speaking her mind, but her recent scathing words toward former Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow still managed to turn heads.

While celebrating her four 2024 Grammy wins with band Boygenius, Bridgers addressed Portnow's 2018 call for women to "step up" in order to win more awards. Not mincing words, Bridgers proclaimed that when Portnow dies, he should "rot in piss," per Us Weekly.

Her harsh condemnation of Portnow's perceived perpetuation of inequality immediately sparked divided reactions online.

Neil Portnow resigned from CEO role due to backlash to 2018 remarks on women

Portnow's controversial 2018 remarks came after he was asked why only one woman, Alessia Cara, had won a major award at that year's Grammys. Portnow replied that women who wanted more Grammy wins needed to "step up."

"I think it has to begin with women who have the creativity in their hearts and their souls who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, who want to be producers, who want to be part of the industry on an executive level, to step up," said Portnow.

His comments were widely criticized for putting the onus on women rather than examining potential issues with Grammys voting and nominations. Many prominent female musicians pushed back, including Pink who stated, "Women in music don’t need to 'step up' — women have been stepping since the beginning of time."

The backlash was strong enough that Portnow ended up leaving his CEO position in 2019, a year earlier than planned. However, outrage was renewed last fall when Portnow was accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting an unnamed woman in 2018.

Though Portnow disputed the claims, the lawsuit brought renewed scrutiny to his past stances on women in the music industry.

Phoebe Bridgers levels harsh critique on Neil Portnow in Grammys press room

In the wake of her four Grammy wins this year, Bridgers fielded a question in the press room about women's place in rock music.

She responded by calling out Portnow's past commentary, stating: "The ex-president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, said that if women want to be nominated and win Grammys that they should step up. He’s also being accused of sexual violence. And to him I’d like to say I know you’re not dead yet, but when you are, rot in piss."

Bridgers' blunt words took aim at both Portnow's 2018 remarks and the recent sexual assault allegations against him. Wishing for his death after accusing him of enabling harm toward women in music, Bridgers held nothing back. Her fiery statement quickly gained traction online for its intensity and directness.

Internet divided over Phoebe Bridgers' bold remarks at 2024 Grammys

The internet buzzed with mixed reactions upon learning of Bridgers' bold remarks at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

One Reddit user expressed confusion, stating, "Wut? Didn’t women kill it again this year?" Another critique surfaced, describing Bridgers' response as a "standard tumblr bully style."

A third user offered a critical perspective, suggesting, "These successful people find new ways to be angry because their fan base is mad all the time. Just being happy isn't enough, now you have to find some way to seem edgy and faux anger is it."

Meanwhile, another individual commended Bridgers, stating, "That's a great insult."

On a positive note, a fifth user acknowledged Bridgers' talent and resilience, asserting, "She’s very talented and not taking any shit; I’ll take her any day over Swift."

Adding a touch of admiration, a sixth user praised Bridgers' choice of words, saying, "That’s a unique insult. I love it."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.