Azealia Banks sends a cease-and-desist letter to Matty Healy over X posts

US rapper Azealia Banks has taken legal action against The 1975’s Matty Healy over X posts, sending Healy a cease-and-desist letter after he threatened to slap her last week.

Via X, Banks shared a screenshot of the letter on Sunday, which she said her lawyer had sent to Healy, before it was deleted and replaced with a note from X stating that it violated the platform’s rules.

In the letter, Banks’s lawyer accused Healy of making defamatory comments and threatening violence.

As well as demanding Healy ceases ”further threats and defamatory statements” towards Banks, the letter demands a public apology and a payment of $1m in damages.

An attorney for Banks, Wallace Collins, confirmed he prepared a letter on his client’s behalf. In a statement emailed to NBC News, he said: "unequivocally stands by the factual allegations and legal claims as outlined in the December 7, 2024 letter."

The feud between Healy and Banks began on X last week, when Healy criticised Banks for negatively commenting on Charli XCX’s appearance, saying “the women you attack seem to be culturally relevant, attractive, divisive and NICE people. I think this makes you jealous cos you're so talented but everything else about you is a failure." He then made a post saying he would “f*** you up” and “slap” anyone who insulted his fiancee, Gabbriette Bechtel.

Healy’s account has since been deactivated.

Banks replied by saying that Bechtel looked like “Frankenstein” and that she and Healy, who has been open about his recovery from heroin addiction, “look like you share needles”.

Then, Healy called Banks a “rat” and threatened to “slap” her in a now-deleted post.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Healy posted an apology before his account was deactivated, which read: "Nah I can't be saying I'm gonna hit a girl that's insane I'm sorry.

"You just can't keep being so mean about my mates and my mrs it's really hurtful gets me well defensive."