Sir Rod Stewart has been inundated with backlash after jetting to Boston to watch the World Cup, disappointing music fans by cancelling a show due to ill-health. On Friday (June 12), the 70s icon issued a last-minute announcement that his San Diego show was no longer going ahead, just 40 minutes before the scheduled 7.30 pm start time.
An official statement read: "Rod Stewart very regretfully has had to cancel his show tonight in Chula Vista, California. He travelled to the venue and made every effort to perform, but on the advice of his doctor, and following a diagnosis of an acute respiratory infection that has resulted in laryngitis, he is unable to take to the stage this evening."
While messages of well-wishes from fans followed, the empathy soon turned into fury as the 81-year-old posted that he was on a private jet and flying to watch his beloved Scotland team's football match against Haiti.
In an Instagram clip, Rod was joined by his sons, Alastair, 20, and Liam, 31, as he boasted: "I've been to seven World Cups. I've been to Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, loads of them, and this is the seventh. We want them (Scotland) to get through the next round, and I'll be a happy man."
Thousands of his 1.7 million followers took to the comments with fury, including one who slammed: "This feels rather disingenuous, especially after your cancellation last night. Too ill to perform but okay to fly across the country for soccer?"
Another raged: "So you blew off all the people in San Diego that wanted to see you in concert but able to go to the World Cup, I see! I'm a huge fan of yours, but I don't think that's cool."
In disbelief, a third questioned: "Wait. What?? Is that why I had to go home early from your concert last night????"
"Now we know why you cancelled your show an hour before! Grifter," echoed another.
A fourth fumed: "What's hard to accept is seeing you apparently celebrating on a plane with friends less than 24 hours after thousands of people were sent home disappointed in San Diego. Then, to see you flying across the country for a soccer game the very next morning makes the situation feel even more tone deaf."
While another defended the star: "There's a difference between watching a game and performing for two hours. Just saying."
Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0, recording their first World Cup win in 36 years.
