When you cross two habitual, shit-talking line steppers, someone’s bound to get their feelings hurt. In this case, talk show host Wendy Williams seemed to get the better of Azealia Banks last week, bringing the controversial 26-year-old rapper to tears by implying that she was a prostitute.
Williams made the offending comments during the “Hot Topics” segment on her show Dec. 11 when discussing Banks’ beef with fellow New Yorker Remy Ma.
Remy Ma had recently posted screenshots of her texts with Banks, and one particular exchange, in which the younger rapper asked for advice on a vaginal-rejuvenation procedure, caught Williams’ attention.
“Well, at 26—if you’re worn out at 26 and got no kids? Well, now we understand how she gets her money,” Williams said, throwing an exaggerated wink to her audience, who groaned and clapped in response.
Williams wouldn’t let it go.
“She’s got no kids and she’s 26, with a vaginal rejuvenation? Wow. She works hard for her money.”
(Sidenote: If you’re unfamiliar with what a vaginal rejuvenation is, Google is your friend, but I can say the term actually applies to a number of different procedures that can be cosmetic or can “tighten” the ’nani.)
Banks—who once bullied a 14-year-old Skai Jackson—responded via Instagram Wednesday with a screen capture of Williams’ segment.
“In what world is this okay,” Banks captioned. “Wendy Williams accuses Azealia Banks of prostitution???????????????????? This is a whole new low.. I’m legitimately in tears. This hurts the type of shit that becomes acceptable to say to azealia banks is nuts.”
Did Williams do too much? Banks is by no means without fault and has boosted her profile many a time by lobbing homophobic and racist slurs at her contemporaries. But in my eyes, it was a low blow, but that’s because I’m firmly in the camp that whatever you want to nip, tuck, tighten, rejuvenate or reupholster with your money is your damn business. That, and attempting to malign women of color by implying that they’re sex workers, is played the hell out.
The verdict: Issa mess.