Still developing: The answer is all the above, depending on the “inside source”, all of which have a different reasons.
There are several rumors flying around, so here are the facts. The facts are Chris Brown was an option to perform, and BET held his fate until the last minute. The Jackson Family thought Chris Brown would have been a great choice, and had no problem with the young star performing a tribute to his idol, which would have been his first performance since the assault. BET feared a backlash and couldn’t make up there mind on what to do, and eventually felt it was inappropriate. Other leaders of the community convinced BET that it was not in their best interest.
According to BET Awards Producer, Ron Weisner:
A day and a half ago, we had one show and today we have a whole other show. Overnight, literally, it changed. The show was completely rewritten, we booked additional people — we’re trying to address a very unfortunate situation.
JAY-Z: Now the rumor mill on the other hand is saying that Jay-Z had a hand in making sure Chris Brown didn’t perform, and that’s why he performed D.O.A. The rumor started from a tweet, apparently a Chris Brown dancer (BShaw) had this to say about Jay-Z on twitter, “Jay-Z is mad childish. Never keep a person from paying there [sic] respect.”
Here is the tweet that started all the Jay-Z rumors. The rumor has it, Jay-Z gave BET an ultimatum, if Chris Brown performs then Jay-Z pulls out. After seeing the show they should have gave Jay-Z the deuces, instead. Now people are adding sponsors to the list, as well. Sponsors such as Cover Girl, who has a contract with Rhianna, threatened to pull out.
Honestly, I think BET used the drama to their advantage as free publicity, which backfired, because the audience at home had higher expectations, and many felt disappointed. It seems more people than not were pulling for Chris Brown, including the family, and the shows producer.
Bottom line, the people that know definitively aren’t speaking, and there is a lot of speculation. Personally, I think all these things were part of the issue, and it was too big of a hurdle for BET to jump.
Similar Posts:
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- Chris Brown & Rihanna Rumor Control: Fact vs Fiction; Chris Brown Aunt Speaks Out
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Tagore
Comment made on 06/28/2009 @ 22:58
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Again politics…stupidity…and ppl who live in glass house
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Tagore
Comment made on 06/28/2009 @ 23:01
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*houses..
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rlove
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 01:17
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It is unfortunate that Chris Brown did not perform; that was the only reason I watched. That “I’ll be there” tribute bu Neyo and Jamie Fox wasn’t good.
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wtf
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 01:51
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BET suuuuuuuuuuuuuuked da show boring as fuuuuuuk boooo booooooooooooooooooooo
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C. Johnson
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 02:20
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I see both sides of it, and I think they both lost. BET probably would have got an bad image if they let Chris Brown sing after what just happened in the last month. I understand MJ passed away but may have cause more anger from some people, being that it was so recent. BET could have done alot better, you have Kanye West sitting there….who DID sing on MJ’s last album that came out. I know Alicia Keys could have done something great too. I think BET drop the ball and just wanted some ratings on a bad show that I will never watch again. That was no tribute to him, that was a rush. Which I understand they only had a couple days to put it together. BUT DON’T HYPE IT UP. Like it’s going to be the BOMB, when all we got was a firecracker. They said secret special guest performing. I think I got lost in the secret, cause I didn’t see much special. You come out and say MJ is ours and we shared him with the world….. I think in the next couple months on the other Award shows watch the WORLD really share it with you BET and show you how its really done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I’m done ranting. I think
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C. Johnson
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 02:54
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NO, I’m not done. You put New Edition for your opening act. Did you not hear them in reharsal and see that evidently they couldn’t sing live. I wanted to change the channel right then. I Tweeted Mrs Grapevine and she told me to wait there is more it’s going to be good and they extended it to pay much tribute to him. So I held out hope FOR HOURS waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, I got a little blip with Ne-YO, Keri Hilson did good too. Jamie Foxx, I like you….But all you did was a little “Bad” skit and moonwalk, you promoted your tour more than you did remembering MJ, you sang TWO, let me say again in TWO songs you couldn’t scratch one for a tribute to MJ. WHO is running BET, and the award show? I know it is a recession but I don’t think you have fired that many people??????? Do you need help?
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C. Johnson
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 03:11
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No, I’m not done. You opened the show with New Edition, did you not hear them in rehearsal and not know they couldn’t sing live today! I wanted to change the channel. I tweeted Mrs. Grapevine, but she told me to wait there is more and special guests “plurl”, so it will be good. So I waited for HOURS and didn’t see anyting special. I got a blip with Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson and Ciara were good, but it wasn’t much in a 3.5 hour show. You do the math. Jamie Foxx, I like you…but man you did more promoting your tour than remembering MJ. You performed in TWO, I say again TWO songs. You couldn’t scratch one and sing a MJ song. I bet you will be first in line to try to play him in a movie.
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C. Johnson
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 03:37
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The ending after Janet Jackson with Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx was good. But I EXPECTED MORE. I’m done now
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Eshaneua
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 04:34
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Hogwash! They let felons get on that stage every year!!! Lil’ Wayne, T.I, Rick Ross,and the list goes on and on. Chris Brown, is and always will be, the exception. What BET won’t do, MTV WILL. MTV will go after Chris hard because they are looking for someone to replace MJ and only Chris comes even remotely close.
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sHaE-sHaE
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 05:40
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I definitely expected more. It’s hypocritical to say they couldn’t let him on in lieu of his legal issues when you give an award to T.I. who is about to serve time for trying to purchase illegal machine guns and silencers from the police. WTH? BET is confused. It couldn’t have been any worse if he’d performed, that’s all I’m saying.
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Diva
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 05:59
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I believe BET did what they did out of respect for Rihanna, and for all you saying Jay Z is childish so is chris brown he lost his temper which is what children do, and hurt another person. I see both sides but one more strongly
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Sasha
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 06:54
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OK I want to start out by saying the main reasons I tuned in was to see the chris brown dance tribute. I watched three hours of pure BS. The Chris Brown Rhianna situation is over. Micheal Jackson is dead and gone and to tell Chris that he cant pay tribute to Micheal is so wrong. One situation has nothing to do with the other. If the FAMILY was ok with Chris performing then that should have been that. The Jackson family should have been the ones to have the final say; Not some camel faced old man who doesn’t know when he’s too old to be bopping around on a stage with his pants sagging off his ass like he’s 22 damn yeasr old. I mean Really “Hova”…Really…
Ho Sit Down…
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Why Didn’t Chris Brown Perform At BET Awards? Was It Jay-Z? | Generation-Hiphop
Pingback made on 06/29/2009 @ 08:50
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[...] Continued here: Why Didn’t Chris Brown Perform At BET Awards? Was It Jay-Z? [...]
MrsGrapevine
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 09:15
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BET should have said no from the beginning if it was an issue respect or propriety. They let the Chris Brown rumors get out of hand, and at the 11th hour changed their program when they knew the world was looking to them.
If they wouldn’t have toyed with the idea their would have been this expectations. They could have said “no” days ago instead of an hours before the show.
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jada
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 09:30
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this is bull shit the only reason why i watched the show was because my favorite singer was going to be paying a tribute to michael jackson so i kept watching for hope that he was going to come out and make the show the best BET awards and anyway its none of jay-z business who performs on the show he dont control shit. and i dont know why he said something because he didnt even pay a tribute to michael jackson jay-z needs to sit the hell down with his old ass and mind hes business. and if the family says they think it would be good for chris brown to perform let the man perform that shit is 4 months old now about to be five. and the opening to the show was a hot mess hey needed to let chris brown do it…..the wholle show was a mess
love, you chris brown you coul of out shined all them bitches that did a bad job especially jay fuckin z
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Tina
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 09:35
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The BET Awards last night was a mess..BET has alot of favortism I see and thats not right. If the Jackson family said it was a good choice for Chris Brown to perform then BET should have let that happen. I only watched the show because I thought the rumors was true that he was going to perform. How could BET not do a live tribute with Thriller. I didnt see any surprises last night.
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MrsGrapevine Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:26
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@ Tina:
That was my exact words on twitter, where is Thriller.
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LT
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 09:35
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I waited all night for Chris to perform because I knew he was the only performer who could do MJ justice. I was soo disappointed!!! I thought he would close the show. Had I known he was not going to perform I would have stopped watching at 10:00. Bad move by BET and for the record if Jay Z is so shallow maybe he is having ‘relations’ with Rihanna. The show was not about him it was about paying tribute to MJ and who better than C Brown to do that?
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n2me
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 09:43
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The show was not about Rihanna, Jay Z or Beyonce. It was a tribute to MJ. Chris Brown is the only performer alive today who could have brougt the spirit of MJ to the awards last night. I love MJ and I do not believe the accusations brought against him years ago. With that said, does anyone else think it is a bit crazy for BET to honor a man who was accused of molesting a child yet, they are condemning a man who got into a fight with his girlfriend–does anyone else see how backwards this thinking is on the part of BET? Rest in peace MJ; Chris Brown you will be back on top soon so never mind the haters!!!
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MrsGrapevine Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 10:25
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@ n2me:
The show was suppose to be about MJ, and you pick the best in the game. If BET felt it was inappropriate then they should have said, no from the jump, and squashed all the rumors, instead of riding the wave of publicity. I don’t think everyone here is Chris Brown fan, they just the missteps made.
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Kairi Lee
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 11:04
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BET is a bunch of bullshit.favoritism is the name of the game they played. honestly, I think it was Jay z and beyonce who had this shit all planned out. more rumors are that beyonce wanted 2 open the show with i’ll be there and she threw a bitch fit bcuz BET told her no. once again, have you ever seen beyonce at the BET awards if she wasnt nominated or if she wasnt gonna perform? BET wanted ratings and with out Jay z or Beyonce, it wouldnt have happened….so they thought. It was bullshit from the beginning!! Chris Brown was wrong for what he did, but he suffered enough and for Bet to let Jayz have anything to do with this decision was crudy. Rihanna is ok!! She moved right the fuck on with Drake. So all the Bullshit can stop. U give awards to drug dealers, drug abusers, convicted felons, but Chris Brown who had a minor altercation with an ex girlfriend, got the boot. Jay z old as a bitch and beyonce looke like a wtf on wheel!! I dont think I can ever watch the bet awards again. forgiveness is key and michael was accused of many things, do you really think this is what he would have wanted? Why do you think the Jackson family was okay with Chris Brown performing!!! They kno whow the media scrutinized michael and they looked past Chris Browns drama. Case in point only two words can describe last night… Hypocritical & Bullshit.
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Renea
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 11:06
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BET and Jay Z may have done Chris Brown a huge favor by not letting him perform. Think about, this just goes to show how strong Chris’ fanbase is, even after the fact. If God and Rihanna has forgiven him, who are we to judge. Rihanna didn’t even show up last night, perhaps so that he could perform. It’s amazing how hipocritical we can be sometimes. I stopped watching BET years ago, and I see why. If they let dopeheads (yeah I said it), gun toting ex-cons (and I love TI), and other criminals perform, what was wrong w/ Chris. As I recall, Jay Z has no room to talk because he punched a woman in the face.
Besides, BET stopped playing Michael’s music YEARS ago. So whatever. I’m sure MTV will put one one hell of a show and if they have any sense, they’ll listen to the Jacksons wishes. Who knows, maybe they can get to do a number or two. That’ll show BET.
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Chris Brown Ain’t At BET Awards Cause of Jay-Z? | VA Intermission
Pingback made on 06/29/2009 @ 13:53
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[...] images from mrsgrapevine Share and [...]
Vicky
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 14:40
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I think you are wrong if you think more people were pulling for Chris Brown. Most people felt it would have been tacky and irresponsible of BET to let him perform so quickly after pleading to a felony assault.
BET made the right call. If it had been next year, it might have been a whole nother story…….
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Quick
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 16:08
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If it was for money reasons, then i can see them not letting him perform. But if it was J saying he wouldn’t perform….rap performances are never that live anyway-
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MrsGrapevine
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 16:16
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@ Vicky:
Many people behind the scenes, not people of the court of opinions, who feel his career should be over, and they don’t know the facts.
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MrsGrapevine
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 16:26
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@ Vicky:
If they felt it would have been irresponsible then they should have made that decision from the beginning, instead of trying to see if they could get away with it.
I said in earlier comment, it’s not about putting Chris Brown on stage, it’s about turning this into media circus, and pulling him at the 11th hour.
They could have said, no, on day one, then built a show around Usher, Justin, and Ne-Yo.
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Ha
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 20:06
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CB cant sing tho all he can do good is dancing… Fact
And MJ did it all well
CB will never be 1/100 of what MJ was and is
I think that bet shouldnt have caved in into the demands of cb fans
Come on now
CB was just using the situation to get back into the limelight & good graces of some folks
His intentions were not pure
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MrsGrapevine
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 20:26
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@ Ha:
I don’t see how Chris Brown’s intention weren’t pure. Michael Jackson is a constant part of his act since he stepped on the scene. I think he’s very genuine in wanting to pay homage to Michael Jackson. This is probably going to hurt him more than his confession of guilt or probation. Sometimes Karma makes you pay, and Chris Brown is paying.
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Shelly
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 20:50
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I dont understand why they let Beyonce perform when she trashed the Jackson family a few short months ago. This was nothing more that her continuing to be a media whore. She disrespected the Jackson family and didnt deserve to be a part of the tribute. It only disgusted me because I know how disingenuous it was. And BET was stupid to not let Chris perform. He was a fan and a friend of Michael, and he did a great job when he did Thriller in 2006. That’s why the show turned out to be a bust. They decided to cater to Jay Z and his wife and left out the people that were true to Michael. Disgusting.
RIP Michael
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Clnmike
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 21:05
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The problem is that Chris has not fully made amends yet. He has kept his mouth shut and hoped things blow over. You cant be forgiven if your not asking for it.
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MrsGrapevine
Comment made on 06/29/2009 @ 21:17
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@ Clnmike:
I fully agree, we haven’t had insight into his thoughts, his side of the story, or his remorse.
Sometimes a simple, I’m sorry to the public goes a long way.
Maybe he’s making amends with Rihanna first, and will worry about everyone else later.
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trinidarkie
Comment made on 06/30/2009 @ 07:15
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i think it is irrelevant whether Chris Brown has asked the public for forgiveness. the most important thing is that he makes peace with his God and his victim. he has faced the consequences of his actions as his freedom now hangs in the balance for 5 years.
what is important is that BET touted this show as being a tribute to MJ and if they truly wanted to do it any justice they would have let Chris perform. it was very apparent from the repetitive performances by Neo and Jamie Foxx that there were not enough performers. i waited for 3 and 1/2 hrs for Chris and i continue to wait. but i won’t despair some other award show will do Micheal homage and allow Chris to do his tribute.
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Shelly
Comment made on 06/30/2009 @ 08:50
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Clnmike, I think that CB has suffered enough. Also Rihanna seems to have forgiven him so why cant the public? No one is perfect. What I do find pathetic though is people like Jay Z hating on a 20 year old young man, and denying him a chance to redeem himself and pay homage to an icon. For those of you that dont know, there is a video of Jay Z hitting a woman and paying her not to file charges.. Double standards much? If Chris Brown was not the “image” that BET was going for, what made Beyonce a better choice? She openly disrespected the Jacksons and never aplolgized and had her sister egging her on, so what message does that send? Its alright to mock people in life, but when they pass do something to make people forget about it so that you still look good? Sorry BET was wrong for that, and if she was able to get a pass Chris should have received one too. What Beyonce said was reason enough for her not to be on that stage paying a fake so called tribute.
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MiZZDUVAl904
Comment made on 06/30/2009 @ 09:58
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Haters,that’s all they is.They should of let Chris Brown perform.T.I got an award and he’s in jail but Chris only got probation and he can’t even step his foot on stage,that is a bunch of BULLSHIT!!!!Rihanna needs to come out and tell them what happened cause from what I had heard,Rihanna slapped Chris in the face.And Jay-Z need to mind his own goddamn business.He wasnt even paying tribute to MJ.His perfomance was BARf anywayz.And Beyonce acted like she didnt even wanted to pay tribute to MJ.BET,Beyonce and Jay-Z is full of crap.Now if it was MTV,they would’ve ask Chris to do a tribute to him,matter of fact last thursday while they were showing all MJ videos they had showed Chris Brown performing Thriller from the MTV Awards.But anywayz what i’m trying to say is that the incident happend 5 months ago.If they can forgive T.I for buying machine guns,they can forgive Chris Brown.
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L
Comment made on 06/30/2009 @ 11:05
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