Boy George responds to Róisín Murphy after their online clash: ‘I don’t remember meeting her!’ (EXCLUSIVE)
“I don’t remember meeting her! I honestly don’t. And also, because I paint, it’s very unlikely that I’d just call someone ugly," George tells Attitude
By Callum Wells
Boy George has responded to Róisín Murphy after their online clash, claiming he doesn’t remember ever meeting the Moloko frontwoman.
The Culture Club singer, 64, found himself in a storm last week when Murphy, 52, accused him of belittling her when they first met. The Irish singer said the encounter left her “ashamed in front of a lot of people” as she hit back at his pro-trans stance.
But George tells Attitude he was surprised by the accusations, including one that he called her “ugly” during the historic run-in.
“Even when I’m insulting someone, I try to be quite funny about it” – Boy George on his war of words with Róisín Murphy
In an interview to discuss his latest collection at Castle Fine Art, Punky Doodle Dandies, he touched on the feud. George noted, “I’m having a little row with Róisín Murphy at the moment. I basically said, ‘Oh, she just wants to be a drag queen,’ which I think probably will annoy her.
“But I don’t remember meeting her! I honestly don’t. And also, because I paint, it’s very unlikely that I’d just call someone ugly. I always feel like, even when I’m insulting someone, I try to be quite funny about it. Do you know what I mean?”
You're just beyond horrible, George. All that nasty, nasty bitchiness is coming back to you. I remember the first time we met in Miami, and the first thing you said to me was, "Oh, you're not as pretty as I thought you were." I was young, and you made me feel ashamed in front of… https://t.co/BKhkY6Fl9b
— Róisín Murphy (@roisinmurphy) October 11, 2025
George has often been targeted online after publicly criticising JK Rowling, whom he labelled a “bored rich bully” over her transphobic views.
Taking to X on Monday, the Karma Chameleon hitmaker shared a teenage photo of himself as he hit back at critics. He wrote, “I could list a hundred celebrities, artists, that wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, let alone bother responding to lies and bullshit. Some of my haters are even academics which proves that being able to retain information has zero to do with emotional intelligence. If you think I’m stupid how fucking dumb must you be? Why do all these twats never have a picture of themselves on their profiles? Isn’t it obvious? Ugly people with ugly souls!”
Murphy reposted the comment, writing: “You’re just beyond horrible, George. All that nasty, nasty bitchiness is coming back to you. I remember the first time we met in Miami, and the first thing you said to me was, ‘Oh, you’re not as pretty as I thought you were.’ I was young, and you made me feel ashamed in front of a lot of people. Why? You have grifted all these years with such little talent and zero charm. Now, time’s up.”
“Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected” – Murphy’s controversial comments about puberty blockers
Her post followed a 2023 controversy over her comments on puberty blockers.
She had written: “Puberty blockers are fucked, absolutely desolate, big pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true. Please don’t call me a terf, please don’t keep using that word against women.”
Murphy later apologised, saying she was “thrown into a very public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for” and expressed regret for the hurt her comments caused. Two scheduled London performances for her fifth solo album, Hit Parade, were subsequently axed.
Just this week, she reignited controversy after sharing another transphobic post.
The Irish singer shared a chart claiming the proportion of 18-to-22-year-olds identifying as trans or non-binary has fallen significantly in recent years. Citing data from Tufts University’s Cooperative Election Study, she wrote on X: “It was never real. Terribly sad though. Absolute havoc wreaked on children, families and society.”
The dataset, which has been circulated by right-wing outlets including Fox News, covers surveys conducted between 2021 and 2024. Researchers have cautioned against interpreting it as evidence of a decline in trans identity.
George will unveil two new hand-signed, limited-edition artworks today (24 October) at Castle Fine Art, the UK’s leading gallery group.
Titled Punky Doodle Dandies, the series features 195 pieces, including two punk-inspired figures – Free Me Now and Desperate to Come Out – exploring duality, identity, and self-expression.
George describes the works as “contradiction, armour, performance, punk protest… all of it”, reflecting his own life and the inclusive ethos of Culture Club.
The collection is available exclusively at Castle Fine Art, with the first 95 sets including a Collector’s Portfolio of original poems inspired by courage and individuality.
