Chris Brown has made it clear he wants no part of the State of Texas honor presented to him after State Rep. Venton Jones apologized over the recognition.
And the R&B star had especially sharp words for the lawmaker after Jones addressed the controversy both on ‘The Don Lemon Show’ and in a separate formal statement from his office.
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As reported earlier, Jones appeared on ‘The Don Lemon Show’ and apologized to Black women, women, and survivors of domestic violence following criticism of the presentation.
Separately, Jones issued a formal written statement on September 15 addressing the fallout in greater detail. The Texas representative said he had listened to concerns from the community and acknowledged those hurt by his decision to participate in the honor.
“First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the women, the Black women, whom my actions have hurt… I apologize.”
Jones said the intention had been to recognize the musical careers of Brown and Usher, while also using the appearance to encourage voter participation. He conceded, however, that the impact of the moment extended beyond that intent.
Brown’s response followed the apologies, with his first swipe directly referencing Jones’ appearance with Lemon:
“I don’t want the award anymore my brother. You went on with Don Lemon and started tap dancing. Y’all keep that s***.”
The 37-year-old stressed that he never sought the recognition and accused Jones of backtracking because he did not want to lose voters or support.
Brown, whose Arlington shows were already sold out before the presentation, added:
“How about y’all leave me the f*ck alone and let me focus on the fans that spent their money to actually see and support me.”
The State of Texas legislative recognition presented by Jones was separate from Jasmine Crockett‘s Congressional Record recognition of Brown and Usher. Brown previously thanked Crockett and responded to the backlash surrounding the ceremony.
Chris feelings aren’t wrong. This whole situation feels like the right message delivered by the wrong messengers.
Jasmine already has a polarizing public brand, and when you combine that with someone as controversial as Chris Brown, it creates a situation where the message can easily get overshadowed by the people delivering it.
It almost didn’t matter what Jasmine got on that stage and presented or said—the public’s perception of her was already going to shape how it was received. And that’s unfortunate because she’s clearly intelligent, accomplished, and capable.
But the perception that she was salty after losing, combined with the optics of always seeming “thirsty” for a viral moment, has started to diminish some of her light. Sometimes perception becomes louder than the actual person.
I hate seeing her trajectory compared to Mo’Nique’s—not because their situations are identical, but because once the public attaches a certain narrative to a Black woman, it can become incredibly difficult for her accomplishments, intelligence, and actual message to be heard over that narrative.
Black women already have enough obstacles to overcome. I just wish the message had been able to stand on its own without the messengers becoming the story.
Eurghh… free Pales tine!!!
This should have never occurred in the first place. It’s so strange. It’s almost like the whole thing was planned out on purpose. Like a script was written. Intentional Rage-Baiting?