As Charli xcx‘s The Moment makes its festival rounds, the pop star’s pivot to acting has resulted in some unintended international implications.
Following the mockumentary’s Berlin Film Festival premiere last weekend, the 3x Grammy winner recently expressed her support for Ukraine and explained she had no knowledge of the afterparty organizer DJ Anastasia Shevtsova’s alleged ties to Russia.
“Hi everyone < 3 For clarity, neither me nor my team were aware of any of the alleged affiliations around the party in Berlin,” wrote Charli on her Instagram Story. “I would like to take this opportunity to say I stand against the atrocities committed by the Russian government in Ukraine and I stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”
Charli’s statement comes after an article noted that Shevtsova’s mother Zhanna Shevtsova is the founder of Russia’s Tradition Foundation, which has reportedly worked with Vladimir Putin’s Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and visited occupied Ukrainian cities since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Meanwhile, Anastasia Shevtsova (AKA Petit) has distanced herself from her mother’s alleged Russian ties in a statement of her own.
“In light of recent events, I feel it is important to say a few words,” she wrote in a statement shared to Instagram. “My family members live in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The current tragedy affects me personally and deeply. I would never wish harm, violence, or suffering upon anyone. What is happening is heartbreaking for millions of families, including mine.Amid
Anastasia added, “For the past four years, I have lived and worked in Europe, focusing exclusively on my artistic work. I am not involved in politics or any activities connected to the conflict. I understand that emotions are intense and that many people are carrying immense pain. At the same time, I hope to be judged by my own actions and values, not by assumptions about people around me. My work is about art, connection, and humanity. I remain committed to those principles.”
Last month, Charli debuted The Moment at Sundance, a meta mockumentary about a rising star embarking on her first arena tour, which explores her meteoric success through a hyper-pop comedy about the absurd nature of fame and the struggle to maintain her sense of identity and creative freedom.