TV network BET got itself and guest host, model Karrueche Tran, into hot water recently when it made a joke on air about the hair of Blue Ivy, the daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z. Fans of the musical power couple lashed out on social media after Tran read a joke on the BET show 106 & Park at Blue Ivy’s expense.
Tran was a guest on the show on Monday, a day after the MTV Video Music Awards, where Blue Ivy joined her mother and father onstage after Beyonce finished her musical performance. During a segment on 106 & Park titled “Top Six Things Blue Ivy Thought at the VMAs,” Tran read off a list given to her by the show’s producers and reportedly realized she had gone too far when she recited No. 6 on the list: “I really did wake up like this — because my parents never comb my hair.”
Every parent will relate to Beyonce’s beautiful poem about her daughter Blue Ivy http://t.co/UfnvkUe6S0 pic.twitter.com/4icyGw2gqU
— Mashable (@mashable) August 30, 2014
#BaseNews | Oh no! Did she say that? @karrueche makes fun of Blue Ivy’s hair. http://t.co/tziDd3OJ3o pic.twitter.com/dsVrZSIhvk
— MTV Base Africa (@MTVbaseAfrica) August 28, 2014
Despite the model blurting out, “Sorry, Blue. I love you,” off-script, fans of Beyonce dubbed The Beyhive attacked Tran on social media. She tried apologizing the next day, posting on Twitter, “Now y’all know I LOVE me some Beyoncé and Blue Ivy! I didn’t write this script y’all lol,” on August 25.
karrueche dissed blue ivy’s hair on 106&park 1)show cancelled for a week 2)she lost 200K insta followers 3)there’s a petition to deport her
— Ion get tired (@young_liyah55) August 27, 2014
there are actually people who have the nerve to make fun of blue ivy carter. the richest two year old on this planet. let that sink in. — anthony spears (@LOHANTHONY) August 27, 2014
so 106 and park are making blue ivy hair jokes? jokes towards a two year old for having black textured hair? — Ariel Diaz MUA (@TheeVanityDiary) August 26, 2014
Now y’all know I LOVE me some Beyoncé and Blue Ivy! I didn’t write this script y’all lol
— Karrueche Tran (@karrueche) August 25, 2014
The social media onslaught on Tran prompted BET Networks’ president of music programming, Stephen G. Hill, to issue an apology on behalf of his company to the public and to Tran. He wrote a series of tweets on August 26 saying, “Last night on 106 & Park there was a stupid, unthoughtful joke made about a young child. We apologize publically to the child’s parents (and have done so privately) and we have taken punitive actions with those responsible. It was very bad judgment and we will serve you much better in the future. Oh, and please don’t hate on Karrueche; it was NOT her fault. We also apologize to her for putting her in that position.”
(2/4)We apologize publically to the child’s parents (and have done so privately) and we have taken punitive actions with those responsible.
— Stephen Hill (@StephenGHill) August 26, 2014
(4/4) Oh, and please don’t hate on Karrueche; it was NOT her fault. We also apologize to her for putting her in that position.
— Stephen Hill (@StephenGHill) August 26, 2014
106 & Park has gone on hiatus, but supposedly not because of the incident. Instead, one of the show’s producers who was responsible for the joke was reportedly suspended.