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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Megan Sheets and Tom Fenton

Joe Rogan news - latest: Host ‘apologises’ but defends podcast as Spotify stock plummets in Neil Young boycott

Getty/iStock/Spotify
‘No hard feelings’: Joe Rogan on Neil Young, Joni Mitchell boycotting Spotify

Joe Rogan has addressed claims he spread Covid-19 misinformation on his podcast amid ongoing fury over his deal with Spotify.

The host of the hugely popular podcast Joe Rogan Experience addressed backlash against himself and the streaming service in a video shared with his 14.2 million Instagram followers on Sunday night, saying “a lot of people had a distorted perception of what I do”.

It comes after musicians and celebrities including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined hundreds of scientists and medical professionals in asking Spotify to address perceived Covid misinformation on his show, with Young and Mitchell asking to remove their music from the platform in protest.

As its stock value plummeted by $2bn amid the controversy, Spotify announced it would add advisory labels to certain content - without specifically mentioning Mr Rogan.

In his latest video, Mr Rogan said he supported adding the labels and vowed to “try harder” to balance out the opinions expressed on his show.

But he also defended the controversial guests already featured on his show and suggested the term “misinformation” is being used too widely.

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