Nelly Furtado quits performing after cruel online body-shaming attacks
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Grammy-winning singer Nelly Furtado has announced she’s quitting live performances, revealing she’s stepping back from the spotlight after being targeted by a wave of online body-shaming comments.
The ‘Promiscuous’ hitmaker, 45, shared the emotional news in an Instagram post on Friday, October 24, thanking fans for 25 years of unwavering support while hinting that the cruelty she’s recently faced has taken a toll.
Nelly Furtado says she’s ‘stepping away’ from performing after body-shaming backlash
The singer, best known for hits like ‘I’m Like a Bird’ and ‘Maneater’, told fans that while she’ll always write music, she’s decided to “step away” from performing to focus on “other creative and personal endeavors.”
Her heartfelt post featured a photo of her 20-year-old self before her first professional show at Lilith Fair, alongside a clip from her triumphant Berlin concert earlier this summer.
“Thank you for the ride,” Furtado wrote. “I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career.”
She reflected on the magic of performing, recalling that her first stage experience, complete with a pink dress and sparkly platform shoes from Toronto’s Queen West, made her “artist self feel so actualized.”
Nelly Furtado reflects on 25 years of music and newfound confidence
Marking the 25th anniversary of her debut album ‘Whoa, Nelly!’, the singer celebrated how her early music continues to resonate with new fans.
“Twenty-five years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans and I couldn’t be happier about that,” she said, adding, “I never could have guessed there would be so many new ways to discover ‘old’ music in 2025!”
Furtado described the experience of seeing her songs go viral again as surreal and joyful, crediting her fans for helping her “believe in magic.”
Despite online criticism about her body, she’s been praised for embracing her natural beauty and aging with grace. Back in January, she posted a bikini photo with a powerful message about self-love and authenticity, writing, “HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART.”
‘Promiscuous’ singer opens up about beauty, aging, and self-love
Furtado also set the record straight about her appearance, saying she’s never had any “face or body surgeries or augmentation,” other than veneers.
“My youthful glow comes from a loving, old-school facialist who I purchase serums and creams from, and I started that when I was 20,” she explained, sharing beauty tips like drinking plenty of water, sleeping on her back, and using face tape for a lifted look.
She praised the power of great styling, adding, “Makeup can do magical things! So can great eyebrows! So can a great hairstylist! So can great underthings!”
While Furtado didn’t explicitly mention online trolls in her post, fans believe the cruel body-shaming she’s faced—particularly following her Manchester Pride performance—contributed to her decision to step back from live shows.
