During a packed concert in London, the lead singer of a world-famous punk band shocked fans when he took a break between songs to deliver an emotional statement. With visible frustration in his voice, he announced that he plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship in protest of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — the landmark ruling that had protected abortion rights for nearly fifty years.
“I’m not kidding,” he told the cheering, yet stunned, audience. “I can’t stand by while my country strips away basic freedoms from women. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me here in Europe.” His words were met with a mixture of applause, gasps, and chants of support from the crowd, many of whom later took to social media to express admiration for his bold stand.
The next night, during another U.K. performance, he doubled down on his criticism. Between songs, he spoke passionately about what he called the “dangerous direction” America was heading. “This isn’t the land of freedom I grew up believing in,” he said. “When leaders use religion and power to control women’s bodies, that’s not democracy — that’s regression.” His message drew an even louder response than before, as fans waved signs and shouted words of solidarity.
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the Glastonbury Festival, pop star Olivia Rodrigo added her own powerful voice to the protest. During her set, she called out the conservative Supreme Court justices by name, expressing heartbreak and outrage over the decision. “I’m devastated and terrified that so many women and girls are going to suffer because of this,” she said, before dedicating her next song to “the justices who will never understand what this means.”
Her speech turned Glastonbury into one of the most vocal cultural flashpoints in the immediate aftermath of the ruling. What began as a weekend of music quickly became a stage for political expression and collective frustration. Artists across genres joined in, using their platforms to condemn the decision and urge fans to stay engaged, vote, and keep fighting for women’s rights.
For many in the audience, the moment felt bigger than music — a merging of art, protest, and raw emotion. And for the punk rocker who announced he was leaving the U.S., it marked a personal turning point, one that symbolized the growing sense of disillusionment and defiance among American artists in the wake of the historic court reversal.