Ne-Yo has clarified his apology of sorts after facing swift backlash for his comments regarding children and gender identity.
The backlash stemmed from a VladTV interview the singer did with Gloria Velez over the weekend, where he questioned why children are able to “choose their genders.” In a statement posted to social media on Sunday (August 6), he expressed his “deepest apologies” for the comments he made.
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However, in an updated post on Monday (August 7), Ne-Yo clarified his stance and broke down exactly what he’s apologizing for and what he’s not.
“I normally don’t give too much of a damn about what y’all think about what I do or what y’all have to say about what I say or whatever,” he began in a video. “I normally don’t care because like I said, opinions ain’t special. Everybody got one. However, this is something I feel very strongly on and I need y’all to hear this from the horse’s mouth and not the publicist’s computer – so check this out.”
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He continued: “First and foremost, I do not apologize for having an opinion on this matter. I am a 43-year-old heterosexual man raising five boys and two girls. That’s my reality. Now, if my opinion offended somebody – yeah sure, I apologize for you being offended because that wasn’t my intention. My intention is never to offend anybody. However, I’m entitled to feel how I feel! I am absolutely entitled to feel how I feel, the same way you are entitled to feel how you feel.”
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“I ain’t ask nobody to follow me, I ain’t ask nobody to agree with me. I was asked a question and I answered the damn question. Okay? I have no beef with the LBGTQIA+ community whatsoever. I ain’t got no beef wit y’all! Do whatever the hell it is you wanna do! Do what you wanna do with your kids! However, somebody asked my opinion on this matter and this is how I feel. I will never be okay with allowing a child to make a decision that detrimental to their life. I will never be okay with that.”
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While referring back to his original comments where he said he’d educate himself more on the matter, Ne-Yo still confirmed plans to do so – but added his skepticism that it will change his stance.
“I definitely plan to educate myself a little bit more on this matter. However, I doubt that there’s any book anywhere or any opinion that somebody’s gon’ tell me that’s gon’ make me okay with letting a child make a decision like that,” he said. “That’s just period point blank and that’s how I feel. If I get cancelled for this, then you know what? Maybe this a world where they don’t need a Ne-Yo no more. Aight? And I don’t got no problem with that. I’m a hustler, I’ma figure it out. I got kids to raise and I’ma do that. Regardless.”
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He concluded: “So with that being said, y’all have a good day! I love everybody. Live how you wanna live, love how you wanna love but your opinion is yours! Speak your opinion as much as you damn well feel like it!”
In his caption, Ne-Yo noted that he won’t be bullied into apologizing for the matter.
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“Ok. This shit is getting out of hand,” he wrote. “FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH. I WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO APOLOGIZING FOR HAVING AN OPINION. AGREEING TO DISAGREE IS NOT A DECLARATION OF WAR. Lord knows I ain’t perfect, I’ve made my mistakes indeed. And I’ve apologized to the people I’ve hurt for those mistakes. I couldn’t cast a stone if I wanted to, which I don’t. And I haven’t.”
He continued: “My intention is never to offend anybody…but my opinion is MINE and I’m entitled to it. I don’t care what y’all do with yours. That’s YOURS. This is how I FEEL. If one of my 7 kids were to decide that he or she wanted to be something other than what they were born as, once they’re old enough and mature enough to make that decision…so be it. Not gonna love em’ any less.”
“Daddy is still Daddy and he loves you regardless. But this isn’t even a discussion until they are MENTALLY MATURE ENOUGH to have such a discussion. Period. Point blank. Whatever. Y’all do y’all, imma do me and we can agree to disagree and coexist PEACEFULLY. LOVE IS THE ONLY TRUE POWER.”
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Ne-Yo’s original comments saw him question parents on the topic of transgender kids.
“If your little boy comes up to you and says, ‘Daddy I wanna be a girl,’ you just let him rock with that? Where did he get that?” he said. “If you let this five-year-old little boy eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that.
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“Like, when did it become a good idea to let a five-year-old, a six-year-old, a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision? When did that happen? Like, I don’t get that. I don’t understand that.”
The interviewer then talked about the process of gender transitioning, saying she didn’t agree with puberty blockers or “cutting off his pee-pee,” to which Ne-Yo replied: “He can’t drive a car, but he can decide to change his sex?”
