Sugababes' Keisha Buchanan 'Thrown Under The Bus' By Racist Industry In Bullying Row

17 June 2020, 14:43

Sugababes' Keisha Buchanan opens up about the racism she experienced

Keisha Buchanan has spoken out about bullying accusations she faced after leaving the Sugababes and says systemic racism allowed the music industry to use her as a scapegoat.

Former Sugababes star Keisha Buchanan has spoken out about the systemic racism in the music industry which falsely portrayed her as a bully when she left the band whilst talking to Holly and Phil on This Morning.

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When Keisha left the band in 2009, she was the only original band mate left after Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy had also quit, and around the time of her exit there were rumours she'd fallen out with, and was bullying other members, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah.

She says she had no idea about bullying claims until she saw them in the press, and was told by someone at her label it was a story that fit as their album wasn't doing well.

Keisha, 35, said of racism in the industry: "Definitely, 100% I believe systemic racism comes in all different forms and I believe if you're using someone's character to manipulate them and its based on perception in terms of the press side of things."

"People decided I was the instigator in situations and no on ever gave me a chance to say what happened."

The singer also posted a ten minute clip to her YouTube channel last week, further detailing her experiences as a black woman in the music industry in the early noughties.

She said: "I used to think that racism was when someone directly looked at you and called you a racist word...I didn't realise that there was so many different ways that a person and that people can be racist or prejudiced."

Keisha says she was constantly living under scrutiny and judgement of being 'difficult' or 'aggressive'.

She said: "I wasn't allowed to be upset, I wasn't allowed to have an opinion, it got so bad to the point that if there was something in front of me I needed to sign...and I needed to talk to my lawyer 'Oh my gosh you're being difficult.'"

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