Last week, Aussie pop sensation Troye Sivan announced a number of US tour dates for later in the year. However, the addition of Kim Petras as the tour’s support act has been met with criticism by many fans. Now, Sivan has addressed this criticism by releasing a statement via Twitter.

As Billboard noted, Kim Petras attracted a great deal of controversy in February of this year, when an interview with Interview saw her come to the defence of controversial music producer Dr. Luke.

“He’s been really great and supportive to me and I’ve been learning a lot from him,” Petras said in the interview. “He’s been a really nice person and I wasn’t there when that whole thing [with Kesha] went down, but from my experience he’s a great guy and I’ve been having a good time working with him.”

However, following a negative response from fans in regards to her inclusion on Troye Sivan’s upcoming tour, Petras shared a statement on Twitter in which she explained that, “While I’ve been open and honest about my positive experience with Dr. Luke, that does not negate or dismiss the experience of others or suggest that multiple perspectives cannot exist at once.”

“Troye has always worked hard to create a safe, open and celebratory environment for his shows to take place in. I share these values and would love to show that to you on The Bloom Tour.”

Despite this, many fans continue to campaign for Petras’ removal from Troye Sivan’s upcoming tour, the singer has released a statement to Twitter in which he outlines that Kim Petras will remain as the tour’s support act, while asking for fans to exercise understanding and acceptance.

“Guys, I hear you. I’ve heard you over the last few days and wanted to take the time to handle this situation sensitively because I care deeply about all of you, and everyone involved,” Sivan wrote on Twitter.

“When presented with the opportunity to have Kim Petras support me on tour, my immediate reaction was elation, but not without hesitance. I love Kim’s music and think she’s an incredibly important artist. I wanted to support her without supporting the professional circumstances around her, which was an obvious challenge,” he continued.

“This situation was a tough one. I had a decision to make and, at the end of the day, I decided that I believe in Kim as an artist, a talent, and as an example to so many that their dreams are valid and possible. I decided to bring her out on tour to help show that to the world.”

“For transparency, I was not aware of some of the comments Kim has made in the past. That was my mistake. I since have read them and was troubled by them, like you. The opinions communicated in these interviews don’t align with my personal values or the values of the tour.”

“I waited a few days to sit with these comments, talk to Kim, read what you guys had to say, and think about how I felt. My conversations with Kim and her statement yesterday showed me where her heart is and that she is growing and changing just like the rest of us.”

“Her statement was genuine, apologetic, and clarified her position in a way that eased me. People mess up, people misspeak. I have always said that it’s how you grow and learn from your mistakes that truly matters, and I want to treat Kim the same way i’d like to be treated when my inevitable big mess up comes.”

“Nonetheless, this has personally been an extremely difficult situation to grapple with. I hope that you are able to practice kindness, understanding, and patience in handling this from here on out. I want my shows to be a celebration in a safe space for all to enjoy music from a diverse group of acts, having the time of their lives with the best crowds in the world — you guys.”

“As with my past tours, I’m going to be donating a portion of the proceeds from the tour to the Ally Coalition. For the Bloom Tour, I’ll also be donating to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti—sexual violence organisation. Let’s get together, celebrate each other, and party. I can’t wait for this tour, and i can’t wait to see all of you.”

Check out Troye Sivan’s ‘Bloom’: