DaBaby’s apology to the LGBTQ+ community for his comments about HIV and AIDS appears to have been deleted from his Instagram page.
The rapper denied that he was being homophobic after he came under fire for comments that he made during his Rolling Loud Miami set last month.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two or three weeks, put your cellphone light up,” he was heard saying in footage from the set that was shared to social media.
After initially defending his actions in a series of 19 videos posted on his Instagram Story, DaBaby posted an apology to his feed last week (August 2). “I want to apologise to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made,” he wrote. “Again, I apologise for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I knew education on this is important. Love to all. God bless.”
Now, that post is no longer visible on his Instagram page, as reported by Pop Crave. NME has contacted representatives for DaBaby for comment on the matter.
A previous apology that the rapper posted on Twitter is still visible on his account on that social media platform. It read: “Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies.
Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾
But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.
— DaBaby (@DaBabyDaBaby) July 27, 2021
“But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
A group of 11 organisations working in HIV/AIDS prevention, education and treatment penned an open letter to DaBaby last week (August 5), requesting a private meeting to address his comments.
GLAAD’s associate director Dashawn Usher said: “DaBaby and all Americans must learn the truth about HIV and work towards defeating the stigma that keeps people from HIV prevention and life-saving treatment that allows them to live long and healthy lives, and not transmit HIV.
“DaBaby can be a powerful and influential voice where Black Americans need it most. We urge him to learn the facts and use his platform to share the truth that can save lives.”
Since footage of DaBaby’s comments was posted on social media, the rapper has been dropped from a number of festival appearances, including as a headliner at Chicago’s Lollapalooza and his planned slot at New York’s Governors Ball.
