Keith Lee Denies Shading Taraji P. Henson Over Mixup

Keith Lee is clarifying that his annoyed response to a BET Awards midshow mixup had nothing to do with Taraji P. Henson.  “That wasn’t my rose, that wasn’t my moment,” said the food critic.

As previously reported Taraji mixed up TikToker Jordan Howlett a.k.a. Jordan Thee Stallion with TikToker Keith Lee during the ceremony in a cringeworthy moment before apologizing.

“I got caught up in my own inner monologue, I’m so sorry,” she said while ordering her skit partner to give him a rose.

And while BET Awards watchers moved on from the awkward moment, an apparently annoyed Keith Lee posted and deleted a shady message.

“Our name will be known in every room its supposed to be; when it’s supposed to be, how it supposed, with no confusion. God is amazing #Thankful,” he posted on TikTok accoding to TheNeighborhoodTalk.

Numerous Taraji P. Henson fans thought the food reviewer was shading Taraji, but he’s since clarified that his post was actually aimed at BET production for rushing to put the on-camera moment together.

Keith Lee Denies Shading Taraji P. Henson Over BET Awards Blunder

Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty Images for BET

“First and foremost, I want to start by saying I am not upset at Taraji P. Henson by any stretch of the imagination,” said Lee on his official TikTok account. “Not only that but in my opinion, she smoked it last night. I don’t think for one second Taraji had any ill will or any ill intentions behind the situation. The situation happened the way it did. It is what it is.”

He continued and explained why he tossed the rose that was given to him in the sketch.

“The reason I did this had nothing to do with Taraji P. Henson,” he said. “I wholeheartedly believe that wasn’t my rose, that wasn’t my moment it was given to me but it wasn’t mine. I want what’s meant for me, nothing less, no more.”

“The entire segment on the production side felt extremely rushed,” he added. “Not only did it feel rushed, it did not feel intentional. It did not feel purposeful.”

He went on to acknowledge that while he was grateful to be at the awards show with his wife, he would’ve preferred to stay seated in his original seats rather than move for what was supposed to be a funny bit.

“I’ve always spoken about my social anxiety, and for me just to get out and be in that moment was more than enough for me,” said Lee. “So to take me and my wife out of our seats, put us in different seats, give Taraji no direction to who we are and what we do felt extremely unprepared and unprofessional to me.”

He continued,

“I never longed for the spotlight, if I ever wanted the spotlight I would’ve accepted a quarter of the opportunities that’s been presented to us. Never once was I upset that Taraji didn’t know who I was.”

What do YOU think about Keith Lee clarifying his BET Awards reaction post? Did YOU think he was shading Taraji?