Dua Lipa denies firing agent over pro-Israel views amid Kneecap controversy at Glastonbury
Pop star says she did not condone actions of a former agent who allegedly urged Glastonbury to drop Kneecap over its pro-Palestinian stance; agency and outlet dispute the claim as false.
Dua Lipa denied reports that she fired one of her agents over pro-Israel views, saying the claims are false and that the agent, David Levy, stopped working with her in 2019. The Mail Online had claimed she parted ways with Levy after he circulated a letter urging Glastonbury organizers to drop the Irish rap group Kneecap over their pro-Palestinian stance. Lipa and her agency, WME, have said the reports are categorically false, noting Levy had not worked with her since 2019.
In a statement on social media, Lipa said she did not condone Levy's actions toward an artist "speaking their truth" and criticized how the story was covered. She described the Daily Mail piece as inflammatory and "crafted purely for clickbait" intended to fuel online division. "It is always Free Palestine," she wrote, adding that exploiting a global tragedy to sell newspapers was troubling.
WME issued a separate statement to the BBC saying reports that Lipa or her management dismissed an agent over political views were false. The agency noted Levy had helped shape Lipa's early career and remained in an advisory role until earlier this year when he moved on to other projects. The singer's father, Dukagjin Lipa, has been her manager since 2022.
Kneecap performed at Glastonbury in June despite outcry from politicians and activists. The trio led the crowd in "Free Palestine" chants and directed expletives at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had urged against their booking. The band faced calls from music executives to be dropped, and producer Toddla T said a private letter from a leading music agent urged Glastonbury to rethink the booking; Levy was alleged to be among the signatories.
The festival's organizers faced scrutiny over the decision to book Kneecap, and the BBC briefly dropped live coverage of the set, later adding it back to iPlayer with limited cuts. A member of Kneecap later faced legal trouble: one of the trio, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is charged with a terrorism offense for displaying a Hezbollah flag at a show last year; the musician denies the charge and says the flag was picked up from the crowd.
In the broader context, Lipa's public stance on Gaza and calls for humanitarian action have drawn attention. In May, she condemned Israeli strikes on displacement camps in southern Gaza, saying "Burning children alive can never be justified" and calling for solidarity with Gaza. She joined open letters with other celebrities urging the UK to halt arms sales to Israel, organized by Choose Love. The petition argued the UK could not be complicit in war crimes.
The Gaza conflict has escalated into a major international issue. The UN has said a commission of inquiry found that Israel may have committed genocide in Gaza, while Israel has framed its actions as self-defense against Hamas and the release of hostages. The death toll in Gaza has grown to more than 65,000, according to Hamas-run authorities. Separately, governments including the UK, France, Canada and Australia recognized a Palestinian state at a UN meeting earlier this week.
Dua Lipa's representatives have stressed the falsehood of the firing claim and indicated Levy's involvement was long past. Her father, Dukagjin Lipa, continues to manage her career, while Levy's current status remained linked to other projects. The incident has underscored ongoing tensions surrounding music, politics and festival-era bookings in a polarized climate.
