Current:Home > reviewsO.J. Simpson honored during BET Awards' In Memoriam, shocking social media -CapitalCourse
O.J. Simpson honored during BET Awards' In Memoriam, shocking social media
View
Date:2025-04-19 01:44:28
Awards shows often generate controversy over who is left out of the In Memoriam. But at the 2024 BET Awards, it was who made the cut that riled up viewers.
During Sunday's awards ceremony, the In Memoriam segment honoring those who have died in the past year included O.J. Simpson, who was credited on screen as "former NFL player."
On social media, viewers were taken aback to see Simpson featured in the segment given he was controversially acquitted for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman and later convicted of armed robbery.
Tia Mowry introduced the In Memoriam as a tribute to "the Black excellence that we unfortunately lost this year," adding, "It's never easy to say goodbye to those who influence us, but we can take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge their contributions to the culture." She also said that those featured "changed how our artistry is seen and left us with a legacy that we will always remember."
"lol OJ Simpson in memoriam for anything is WILD no matter how you slice it," read one post on X, which received more than 2,500 likes.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Other users shared memes to indicate their shocked and confused reactions, and one viewer suggested the audience "didn't know what to do" when he popped up on screen. Applause could be heard on the televised broadcast when Simpson came up.
Shocking revelationsfrom 'Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson' Lifetime documentary
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for BET for comment.
Still others posted a version of a joke comedy writer Jim Downey made on Conan O'Brien's podcast where he pretended to only know sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a New York financier. "I'm talking about OJ Simpson the NFL Running Back?" one X user posted alongside a screenshot from Downey's bit.
Usherhonored with BET Lifetime Achievement Award: 'Is it too early for me to receive it?'
Simpson died in April at age 76 following a battle with prostate cancer. Willie Mays, Richard Roundtree, Ron Cephas Jones, Louis Gossett Jr., Carl Weathers and Bill Cobbs were among the late stars who were also honored during the In Memoriam tribute.
Other highlights from Sunday's BET Awards included Will Smith performing his new song "You Can Make It" and Usher being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The audio dropped out at certain points during Usher's speech, which some viewers brought up after the In Memoriam. One X user wrote, "So BET can mute whatever the hell Usher said but can add OJ to the in memoriam?? #BETAwards Please explain your morals!"
veryGood! (3141)
Related
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Lisa Marie Presley’s Cause of Death Revealed
- 20 Top-Rated Deals Under $25 From Amazon Prime Day 2023
- The Best Prime Day Candle Deals: Nest, Yankee Candle, Homesick, and More as Low as $6
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Senator’s Bill Would Fine Texans for Multiple Environmental Complaints That Don’t Lead to Enforcement
- In Atlanta, Proposed ‘Cop City’ Stirs Environmental Justice Concerns
- Shawn Johnson Weighs In On Her Cringe AF Secret Life of the American Teenager Cameo
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Gov. Moore Commits Funding for 67 Hires in Maryland’s Embattled Environment Department, Hoping to Fix Wastewater Treatment Woes
Ranking
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Sister Wives Janelle Brown Says F--k You to Kody Brown in Season 18 Trailer
- Legislative Proposal in Colorado Aims to Tackle Urban Sprawl, a Housing Shortage and Climate Change All at Once
- Drowning Deaths Last Summer From Flooding in Eastern Kentucky’s Coal Country Linked to Poor Strip-Mine Reclamation
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- In Northern Virginia, a Coming Data Center Boom Sounds a Community Alarm
- A Rare Plant Got Endangered Species Protection This Week, but Already Faces Threats to Its Habitat
- Lisa Marie Presley’s Cause of Death Revealed
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Q&A: Cancer Alley Is Real, And Louisiana Officials Helped Create It, Researchers Find
Encina Chemical Recycling Plant in Pennsylvania Faces Setback: One of its Buildings Is Too Tall
Pittsburgh Selects Sustainable Startups Among a New Crop of Innovative Businesses
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
What Denmark’s North Sea Coast Can Teach Us About the Virtues of Respecting the Planet
Antarctic Researchers Report an Extraordinary Marine Heatwave That Could Threaten Antarctica’s Ice Shelves
You Need to See Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen’s Baby Girl Gia Make Her TV Debut