FANTASIA RESPONDS TO RUMORS AND HEARSAY

Vocalist Fantasia recently spoke out about a number of issues surrounding her, including the High Point, North Carolina couple that runs the fantasia's lies website, her alleged illiteracy, and rumors of beef with tour mate Keyshia Cole.


Fantasia's book Life Is Not A Fairy Tale relates her experience growing up in High Point, where she said there wasn't much opportunity. A local couple protested, creating a website disputing the singer's dim view of their hometown. Fantasia told The Birmingham Times, "I tell people that book is my life. I'm speaking on how I saw it and what I went through. I'm not speaking on nobody else.... The book, it wasn't for High Point, it wasn't for my family, it was for people who have been through some of the same situations and they took it and turned it into a whole 'nother thing."

The American Idol winner has already denied being illiterate, a revelation that came from her appearance on the ABC's 20/20 newsmagazine show on September 30th. The singer clarified, telling the Alabama paper that she's "not a strong reader" and thus was embarrassed to read aloud in front of people.

Currently wrapping up her last weeks opening for Kanye West on the Touch The Sky tour, Fantasia added that the media and others were trying to pit her against singer Keyshia Cole. Fantasia denies there was any problem between them. "We see each other, we speak. She go up and do her thing, I go up and do my thing. And I guess people was trying to make it into that," says Fantasia of the perception that Cole had disrespected the American Idol winner during a TV interview.

Fantasia added, "I try to get along with everybody and my momma would kill me if she found out I was out in the streets actin' stupid."

Fantasia -- whose debut album Free Yourself has been certified platinum -- is currently on the singles charts with the title track.