Editor’s note: This article contains social media posts that some may find offensive.
Tyrese didn’t watch the Academy Awards Sunday night because he was part of the cohort of people who were boycotting the show because of its lack of diversity in the main acting categories.
But he did catch wind of host Chris Rock’s remarks about Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith is one of Tyrese’s ace boon coons, so he went on YouTube and watched the clip of Rock dissing Pinkett Smith during his opening monologue.
You remember—the bit about how odd it was that Pinkett Smith was boycotting the Oscars, since she wasn’t invited. Rock joked that she does television roles nowadays, not film roles, so the Academy Awards shouldn’t concern her.
Rock also said that Pinkett Smith was just kicking up dust because her man, Will Smith, wasn’t nominated for his role in Concussion.
Tyrese wasn’t happy with his homegirl being the butt of a few jokes, especially when she stuck her neck out for a cause that is so just.
“After Chris Rock done [f—ked] my night up, talking about my girl Jada, who took the initiative to stand up and make a difference,” Tyrese said in the video.
In the caption, he went in even more: “Did you really use your STAGE to tear down and diminish one of the strongest most fearless black women IN this town as the world watched???” Tyrese asked Chris Rock.
“Jokes are just jokes right???? […] Not when someone is willing to put it ALL on the line to affect change for our daughters and sons of the future…….. Shame on you Chris Rock,” he continued.
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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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