'What's going on?' Viewers divided over 'awkward' Delta interview
While appearing on The Project to promote her new album, Delta Goodrem was hit with a question to which she didn’t quite know how to respond.
Goodrem was appearing on the show via video link from Sydney and was happily discussing her upcoming album and book when she was asked a question about sexual assault in the music industry.
“Earlier this week we ran a story on the sheer volume of women in the music industry who have experienced sexual assault or harassment, and the figure was as high as, I think, 96 per cent of women,” panellist Kate Langbroek said.
“Did that figure shock you?”
Goodrem responded with a short and sharp answer, saying: “Listen, nobody deserves to feel unsafe in the workplace and my heart completely breaks to hear that figure.”
“But does it surprise you?” Langbroek pressed again.
After being asked a second time, Goodrem appeared flustered and struggled to form a response, repeating the question back four times.
“Does it surprise me? Ahh… does it surprise me?
“Um listen, I only know…,” she began before trailing off again.
“Does it surprise me? Does it surprise me?”
After thinking through her response, the singer said that she was in fact surprised by the statistic.
“I am shocked by that number, it's completely surprising and my heart is.. you know, it really hurts my heart to hear that,” she said.
“And I continue to support and be there for the community and my girls and it’s definitely very troubling.”
The interview quickly became a talking point on Twitter, with the segment seemingly distracting viewers from Goodrem’s album release.
Some viewers slammed The Project, with one person calling the question “irresponsible”, and others saying Goodrem was put on the spot.
Think Delta was really put on the spot there. Clearly doesn’t surprise her at all but she also clearly publicly doesn’t want to get into it #TheProjectTV
— Laura Jensen (@LauraJcookies) May 13, 2021
I feel like that was an irresponsible line of questioning just now on #TheProjectTV. Delta was clearly caught off guard and not prepared for the SA question. Bringing the issue to light is important but I don’t think that line of questioning achieved anything productive.
— Isobel (@isobel_saccaro) May 13, 2021
Delta seems a bit taken aback by that question and doesn’t want to ruffle feathers #theprojecttv
— Lone Vlogger (@Nardeen_92) May 13, 2021
Um, let @DeltaGoodrem talk about her album, please. #TheProjectTV
— Ezra May (@ezramay) May 13, 2021
While others thought Goodrem missed the opportunity to talk about and raise awareness of an important issue.
So very disappointing to see Delta not use her opportunity to stand up and make some great commentary on an important issue that vitally needs more voices like hers #TheProjectTV
— Miss Chanandler Bong (@b0rnwithabeard) May 13, 2021
I hope Delta uses this interview to find a way to become a voice for others in the music industry and call out whatever doesn't surprise her, but in a way that doesn't sabotage her career since I think that's what made her hold back. #TheProjectTV
— Melissa Blackwood (@lilmissmel) May 13, 2021
As much as I love Delta and am looking forward to all the things she's got coming out, her inability to answer the question about whether she's surprised was the answer in itself. You can't have been in the industry as long as she has and not know. #TheProjectTV
— Melissa Blackwood (@lilmissmel) May 13, 2021
Others, however, just found the exchange “weird” and “awkward”.
That was so weird delta. So very very weird. Was she put in a corner she didn’t want to address? #TheProjectTV
— blair squishes grapes (@blair_jensen) May 13, 2021
Awkward!! What’s going on with that response? @DeltaGoodrem #TheProjectTV
— Lauren K (@lolly375) May 13, 2021
On a scale of 0 to Delta, how hard have you tried to avoid a question?! #TheProjectTV
— Caitlin (@CaitoGrace) May 13, 2021
Why did she have so much trouble with that question? #TheProjectTV
— Georgia Duncan (@_georgiarae) May 13, 2021
The segment was posted to The Project's Twitter account after the show aired, however it was removed within a matter of minutes.
Delta Goodrem’s seventh studio album, Bridge over Troubled Dreams, comes out on Friday.
Alongside her album, Goodrem has released a book of the same title, which talks about the meanings behind the songs on her new album and also charts her two-year struggle to speak again after battling cancer.
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