- Ne-Yo has taken back his apology over divisive comments he made about gender identity.
- The singer said the apology was actually written by his publicist.
In a whirlwind 24 hours, singer Ne-Yo (real name Shaffer Chimere Smith) apologized and then took back his apology over comments he recently made about gender identity.
In an interview with VladTV posted on YouTube Saturday, the "Because of You" singer questioned why parents support their children in exploring their gender identity, including expressing interest in transitioning.
"If your little boy comes up to you and says, 'Daddy, I wanna be a girl,' you just let him rock with that?" he told host Gloria Velez. "When did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, a 6-year-old, a 12-year-old, make a life-changing decision? When did that happen? Like, I don't understand that."
After coming under fire online for the comment, Ne-Yo appeared to apologize via an official statement on social media on Sunday.
Just a day later, however, he took back the apology, which he said was actually written by his publicist.
Representatives for the singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ne-Yo's controversial comments
During the same VladTV interview, Ne-Yo also made contentious remarks about people who identify as a gender other than male or female.
"I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman," he said.
The 43-year-old singer continued: "You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don't care. That ain't my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I'm not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man."
The singer initially apologized amid social media criticism
Amid backlash on social media that his comments were "transphobic," Ne-Yo posted an apology on his Twitter account Sunday.
"After much reflection, I'd like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity," he said in a statement.
"I've always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could've been interpreted as insensitive and offensive."
—NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) August 7, 2023
The statement continued: "Gender identity is nuanced and I can honestly admit that I plan to better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy."
But less than 24 hours later, he took the apology back
In an Instagram video posted Monday, Ne-Yo backtracked on the earlier apology, and said that it was actually written by his publicist.
"I need you all to hear this from the horse's mouth, not the publicist's computer," he said.
The singer said he was sorry if his comments offended anyone, but insisted that he would not apologize for having an opinion.
"I'm a 43-year-old heterosexual man raising five boys and two girls. That's my reality. If my opinion offended somebody, then, yeah, sure, I apologize because my intention isn't to offend anybody," he explained. "However, I am entitled to feel how I feel."
"I have no beef with the LGBTQIA+ community whatsoever," he added. "Do what you want to do with your kids."
In the video's caption, Ne-Yo shared how he would react if one of his children decided they wanted to transition.
"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," he said.
"Not gonna love em' any less," he added. "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."
Experts say that supporting gender-diverse children is key
Transgender and gender non-conforming youth — or kids with a gender identity different from the sex assigned at birth — face plenty of obstacles that can cause emotional distress, including bullying and discrimination, isolation, and a lack of social support.
But evidence overwhelmingly suggests parental support can boost self-esteem, quality of life, and mental health for trans kids — and, most importantly, reduce their risk of suicide, as Insider previously reported.