Conversations about sexual harassment, transphobia and sexual preference have intersected this week after singer Ginuwine was the subject of backlash for his encounter with journalist India Willoughby.
The scandal came to a head earlier this week when footage from Big Brother U.K. showed the participants and other celebrity figures engaging in a conversation about dating trans people. After the R&B crooner shared his opinion on the matter, he was met by unwanted advances from Willoughby, prompting a mixed reaction from viewers.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_fu3j8SAL3g
Those defending the singer include comedian D.L. Hughley and now, Tank. The singer-songwriter dropped a comment on Baller Alert’s Instagram page Tuesday (Jan. 9), calling the scandal “fake news.”
Tank and Ginuwine were previously apart of R&B group TGT with Tyrese, from 2007 to 2015. While Ginuwine was called a “rapper” by UK media, the singer has released nine albums with many of them reaching multi-platinum status. Today’s tots know him for his 90s hit “Pony” while R&B lovers adore his tracks “Differences,” “In Those Jeans,” and his collaborative era with Missy Elliott, Timbaland and the late Aaliyah.
Charlamagne Tha God also defended the singer, calling Ginuwine’s views a preference. He also brought about the double standard regarding the journalist’s attempt to kiss the singer. “What would the conversation be if Ginuwine tried to kiss a woman during a conversation and then when he was rejected, shame said woman and make the woman feel bad for rejecting her. What if the optics were different?,” he said.
“You can’t go around trying to kiss people who don’t want to be kissed. You can reject their advances and making someone feel like they can’t reject advances because they will receive backlash is actually why there is a “Time’s Up” movement and a “Me Too” movement going on right now.”