BET Issues Apology to Usher For ‘Audio Malfunction’ During Lifetime Achievement Award Speech

BET has issued an apology to Usher after audio issues muted a significant portion of his Lifetime Achievement Award speech during the BET Awards. The network cited technical difficulties as the reason for the speech cutting out for viewers at home, explaining, "Due to an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted."

A spokesperson for BET elaborated, stating, “Celebrating global icon USHER on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honour. We extend our sincere apologies to USHER as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night.”

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The audio issues became apparent roughly five minutes into Usher’s speech, which followed a tribute performance. Viewers noticed parts of the speech were inaudible, initially due to language, before about four minutes were completely muted.

Up until the audio malfunction, Usher had been delivering a poignant message about the significance of present fathers, reflecting on his own experience growing up without his father. "I was trying to make sense of this name that a man gave me that didn’t stick around because he didn’t love — or at least that was my perception of it," Usher said. He emphasised the need for a forgiving heart to understand the true challenges faced by Black men in America, explaining, "My father, he was a product of that.”

Usher continued, “He made a lot of decisions — he made a lot of choices — and the one that probably hurt and helped me at the same time was to stay away." His heartfelt speech highlighted the complexities of his relationship with his father and the impact it had on his life.

Despite the technical issues, BET's intention to honour Usher's contributions to music and culture was clear. The network acknowledged the mishap and reiterated their respect and admiration for Usher's legacy. The apology aimed to assure both Usher and his fans that the audio malfunction was unintentional and regrettable.

-Sushmita Sarkar