Vanilla Ice has backed out of plans to perform at an Independence Day party due to concerns over a spike in coronavirus cases in Austin, Texas.
The Ice Ice Baby star came under fire this week after he promoted his appearance at The Independence Day Throwback Beach Party on Friday when 2,500 people were expected to pack the outdoor Emerald Point Bar & Grill.
The show had only been allowed to go on due to a legal loophole, as the venue is technically deemed a restaurant and not a bar.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott recently ordered the closure of all drinking establishments as a result of a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Local officials at the Travis County Health Department even warned people not to attend the show for their safety, but at the time, Vanilla Ice remained defiant and refused to cancel.
"I take the coronavirus serious (sic). But we can't live in a bubble," he posted on Twitter early on Thursday.
However, less than four hours later, Ice announced he had changed his mind and would postpone his show due to mounting safety concerns.
In a video posted to social media, the rapper said, "Basically, I'm not going. I listened to my fans, I hear all you people out there."
Claiming he "didn't know the numbers were so crazy in Austin," the performer told fans he had, "hoped it would be a lot better by Fourth of July."
More than 8,000 new cases were reported in Texas on Wednesday, two months after authorities began allowing some businesses and services to reopen following the initial coronavirus shutdown.
