Yesterday, Aimee Mann revealed via a comic strip on Instagram that she was dropped from the spring/summer Steely Dan tour after previously being announced as an opening act. “It seems they thought their audience wouldn’t like a female singer-songwriter?” the illustration mused. Donald Fagen has denied that was the reason Mann was dropped in a statement issued to Rolling Stone.

“Well, first of all, the idea that I would make any decision based on the gender of a performer is ridiculous. That’s something that would never even occur to me,” Fagen said. “There was a communication problem on our end. I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act. And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best matchup in terms of musical style. But I can’t pass the buck. I’ll take the blame for the screwup. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans.”

Mann’s representative tells Stereogum, “her comic illustration says it all.”