Usher's speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards was cut short due to audio problems, for which BET issued an apology.
According to ET, the network released a statement saying, "Celebrating global icon Usher on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honor." "Some of his speech was unintentionally muted during the LIVE telecast due to an audio malfunction."
"We extend our sincere apologies to Usher as we couldn't be more grateful for his participation in Culture's Biggest Night," the statement went on. Fans may watch tonight's BET encore as well as his whole, uninterrupted address on all BET platforms.
On June 30, Babyface and LA Reid, two music icons, gave Usher the coveted honor. A 16-minute performance by Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Summer Walker, Coco Jones, Marsha Ambrosius, Chloe Bailey, Tinashe, Victoria Monét, Teyana Taylor, and Latto was part of the accolade, according to ET.
The R&B vocalist was ready to say something when the audio abruptly stopped for many minutes. According to PEOPLE, Usher discussed his father's abandonment of him as a youngster and the fact that they had the same name during his winning speech.
According to ET, Usher said, "I was trying to make sense of this name that a man gave me but didn't stick around because he didn't love me." "Or at least that's how I saw it because I had to live long enough to realize that realizing the difficulties and pitfalls faced by Black men in America requires forgiveness in your heart."
The famous person went on, "My father came from that. He took a lot of choices. He made a number of decisions, one of which—staying away—probably both benefited and damaged me. This is partially the reason I think that this is the year of the father, and that all dads must be the men that their sons and daughters need them to be.
"You have to be willing to forgive, y'all," Usher continued. First stone to be hurled was by him who knew no sin. You must possess the ability to forgive. You have to be willing to be transparent," he said. You're standing in front of a man who had to extend forgiveness to a man who never showed up at all, I'm telling you. See what I created with it, too! See what I managed to bring about. That is reality. It's what gives us our humanity. It is the difference between men and women. I'm grateful to everyone.
"I was attempting to make sense of this name that I was given by a man who, in my opinion, didn't stay around because he didn't love."