Flavor Flav has opened up about his devastation after allegedly being kicked out of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York.
The Public Enemy legend was seemingly enjoying the annual event, now in its 92nd year, and hanging out with the Backstreet Boys on Wednesday evening (December 4) when things went south.
In a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Flav claims he was asked to leave the backstage area after meeting the pop group.
“I feel weird. I was invited to the Rockefeller Tree Lighting tonite and I was escorted to see my boys THE BACKSTREET BOYS and we were backstage in their dressing room. Security came up to me and says @nbc does not want me in this area and I need to leave,” he wrote.
“At the same time, their social media woman came up and asked to capture social content. What did I ever do to NBC or anyone?? all I ever do is try to spread joy and love, and I think I did that for NBC at the Olympics.”
Flav followed up by writing: “I deleted the tweet, but my spirit is broken.”
They don’t deserve you pic.twitter.com/br2w8sgXGH
— Tone Ciccarone 👨🏻💻🎹 (@tonyciccarone) December 5, 2024
I deleted the tweet,,, but my spirit is broken.
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) December 5, 2024
He also revealed that the Backstreet Boys stood up for him, writing in response to a fan: “They spoke up for me, they sure did.”
It appears the legendary hype man was still able to see the switch on, though, as he wrote in a follow-up post: “Christmas in the city, ain’t nothing like the Rockefeller tree lighting” alongside a video of the countdown.
NBC have not yet commented on the allegations that they asked Flavor Flav to leave the event.
Christmas in the city,,, ain’t nothing like the Rockefeller tree lighting . 🫶🏾@rockcenternyc pic.twitter.com/NgceNqrHMh
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) December 5, 2024
Flav was a prominent part of the 2024 Olympics which was broadcast by NBC, with the rapper and reality TV star a frequent sight in their programming.
He even came to the aid of an Olympian who was struggling to pay their rent.
Veronica Fraley, who competed in the discus throw and attends Vanderbilt University, took to X the day before her competition to share her predicament.
“I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent,” she wrote. “my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses.”
Flav offered to help out the American athlete, responding: “I gotchu, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO!!!”
Ohhh, the poor guy =*( he’s used to celebrity treatment when he shouldn’t be considered one, it must be so absolutely devastating to not be treated like royalty everywhere you go. I mean, I’m an average joe, so I can imagine it. But him? Not him.
For the record, Xfinity/NBC Universal, has a horrible track record of treating employees bad.
The extreme irony of this is wild and tragic. Mr. Fight The Power crawling on his knees begging to light the cigar of the human equivalent of The Power, the bloodsuckin mass soulcrushin Rockefellers for god’s sake. 1984 and the NWO in full swing.
@OhNo, not for nothing, but Flavor Flav wasn’t the creative genius behind Fight The Power. Chuck D is responsible for 99% of the lyrics from P.E. Flav being the goofy sidekick just made them more digestible to the masses as Chuck was dropping some serious shit that would have been too much for the white audience, more specifically their parents, to handle. Flav is doing now what Flav has built his entire career from…. being a goofy hype man.
What is this weak and publicly broken black man shit bout?? Lil Wayne, Flava flav.
Did they manage to blame it on racism already? “Where’s muh preparations, whitey”
Did they manage to blame it on racism already? “Where’s muh preparations, whitey”