In the podcast “Spotify Presenta,” the pop superstar claimed she intended to keep “separating the artist from his work.” In a video posted on social media, the Catalan artist offers an apology.
Rosalía has recently taken steps to clarify her stance and to issue an apology after remarks about the painter Pablo Picasso sparked a heated controversy. It all began during an interview with writer Mariana Enríquez on the podcast Spotify Presenta. Rosalía voiced her admiration for Picasso’s work and even suggested that she can “separate the artist from the man.” “I don’t care, I appreciate his work,” she added, and she explained that the creator’s personal life doesn’t interest her when engaging with his art.
However, these comments quickly provoked the outrage of many fans who did not hesitate to call attention to Picasso’s troubled past. Allegations of misogyny and physical and sexual violence against Picasso have been documented for many years. His own granddaughter, Marina Picasso, described in a 2001 book how he “subjected” and “crushed” the women in his life, only to distort them in his paintings. More recently in France, the podcast Vénus s’épilait-elle la chatte by Julie Beauzac and the book Picasso, Le Minotaure by Sophie Chauveau had significantly contributed to informing the public about the painter’s behavior.
Rosalía Speaks Out to Express Her Regrets
Facing this wave of backlash, the author of Malamente addressed the matter in a video posted on social media on Saturday, March 14, to convey her regrets. She admitted that she was not “at peace” with her initial statements, explaining that she was unaware of the “real cases of abuse” at the time of the interview.
“I want to apologize … for this complete lack of empathy toward these women and their testimonies,” she explained, after underscoring the importance of not speaking on certain topics without a thorough understanding of the facts. A clarification welcomed as Rosalía prepares for a world tour following a major critical success with her latest album, Lux, which ranked fourth on the 2025 Best Of list by Les Inrockuptibles.
