Indonesian singer Anggun is one of the country’s most iconic singers. Since her rise to fame in 1989 with her single “Mimpi”, which was listed on Rolling Stone’s 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time, the star has achieved incredible milestones. Many of you may recognised her as one of the judges for “Asia’s Got Talent” alongside Spice Girls’ Melanie C and David Foster.
Of course, life in the spotlight isn’t always easy, as you’ll never know who might take advantage of you. Thankfully for the singer, she had some amazing people around her over the years to keep her safe. During a recent interview, she shared a story of how her gay friends protected her during the early days of her career. Here’s the story:
Anggun recently appeared on the Iso-Late Show on YouTube, hosted by journalist Grace Tahir. During the interview, the superstar spoke about living abroad, the rise of social media and streaming platforms in the music industry, as well as anecdotes from her early career. At one point during the conversation, the host asked whether she had ever experienced sexual advances from men throughout her career — something Anggun said she had thankfully never encountered.
When asked how that was possible, the 51-year-old explained that she was often surrounded by gay men during her early years in the industry, who indirectly acted as her bodyguards. “They became a kind of filter or shield against potential sexual predators, looking out for those dangers on my behalf. I was never alone at that point in my life, not that I always go out with a huge group, but I always had a friend or someone from my team with me,” she said.
The moment quickly went viral on social media, with many praising Anggun for being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Others shared their own experiences of queer friends looking out for them and offering protection from unwanted advances.
Watch the full interview below:
Source: YouTube
