BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: Andrew Tate, the polarizing influencer, fervently promotes a range of viewpoints and belief systems that he considers superior from his perspective. However, these often deviate into misogyny on Twitter.
Recently, Andrew Tate, the polarizing influencer, commented on the Ne-Yo situation. This involved Ne-Yo, the American singer, and encompassed Ne-Yo's gender identity remarks and subsequent apology. Tate is known for his controversial views on the LGBT community, often criticizing their influence on youth.
'Ne-Yo was speaking the truth'
Ne-Yo drew backlash for his comments in an interview with Gloria Velez on VladTV. His remarks centered around questioning parents who support their children's identification with a gender that differs from their assigned birth gender.
He then mentioned coming from a time with clear distinctions between men and women, where he believed in only two genders.
Ne-Yo added that he didn't mind if individuals identified as anything, even a goldfish. However, he emphasized his concern when they tried to impose their views on him. While he wouldn't use the term for someone, he wouldn't interfere if they chose that identity.
Ne-Yo stated, "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care. That ain’t my business."
He continued, "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. We do."
After facing significant criticism, the Grammy-winning musician issued an apology for his comments. He expressed his intention to improve his understanding of the matter and extended sincere apologies to those impacted by his statements about parenting and gender identity.
He noted his consistent support for LGBTQI+ inclusiveness and admitted his comments lacked sensitivity. Ne-Yo recognized the complexity of gender identity and expressed his intent to educate himself further, aiming for more empathetic discussions ahead.
Ne-Yo apologized by saying, "I'd like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity. 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."
He added, "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."
Tate posted Ne-Yo's apology screenshot on Twitter, suggesting external pressures might have driven the singer to apologize. He claimed Ne-Yo had initially spoken truthfully on a podcast, but the response caused his words to gain traction, leading to pressure on him.
This prompted him to withdraw his initial remarks and apologize for making them. Tate stated that the external pressure had a significant impact and highlighted the repercussions for those, like him, who refuse to succumb to such influences.
Tate wrote, "NeYo was speaking the truth on a podcast. It went viral, NeYo got the call. He then proceeded to recant the truth and apologize for speaking it. All of you don't realize, that call is very real. Look what happens to people like me when we dont bend."
'Weak man'
Tate voiced his support for Ne-Yo while also critiquing him for retracting his statements, which created a buzz on Twitter. Numerous users joined the conversation to share their opinions.
One user wrote, "Weak man." Another user wrote, "So he basically bent over?" A user stated, "It's absolutely sickening... How could anyone sell their soul like that. We need to build the next generation into strong men who will resist such tyranny. Thank you Andrew and Tristan for standing up to corruption." A user commented, "NeYo is a c**k for taking his words back."
