Ne-Yo Doubles Down On George Floyd 'Sacrifice' Statement

He said what he said.

Source: Paul Archuleta / Getty

Ne-Yo knows you were BIG mad when you saw him call George Floyd’s death a “sacrifice” during the murdered man’s Houston funeral, and he’s issuing a response. As previously reported before singing during the service, Ne-Yo quipped to mourners that he’s grateful for George Floyd’s sacrifice. That comment almost immediately rubbed people the wrong way.

“Fifty states are protesting at the same time. This man changed the world — changed the world for the better. So, I just want to personally thank George Floyd for his sacrifice, so that my kids can be alright later on,” he said. “I appreciate the sacrifice, my brother, I genuinely do.”

After getting backlash from folks perturbed that he called the man murdered by police a “sacrifice”, Ne-Yo told The Morning Hustle that he was at first going to ignore the comments but was encouraged by his manager to explain himself. According to Ne-Yo, he had no negative intentions when he made the “sacrifice comment.”

“We can not let ignorance divide us right now,” said Ne-Yo. “I’m singing at this man’s funeral you cannot believe that I meant anything negative towards him towards his family you can’t believe that as I’m standing on stage singing at this man’s funeral, looking at his daughter in the face, you cannot believe that I meant something negative, you can’t.”

Ne-Yo added that he was under pressure at the time and originally wanted to be low key at the funeral before being moved up to the front.

He also encouraged everyone not to “mess up the narrative and reaffirmed that George Floyd’s death was a sacrifice, albeit an unwilling one much like Jesus giving up his life on the cross. 

“Let’s not mess up the narrative, let’s not get away from the narrative,” Ne-Yo told The Morning Hustle .” I was there to pay homage to this man. No, he was not a willing sacrifice, neither was Jesus. Jesus didn’t want to get on the cross but he did it to save us, George Floyd didn’t wake up that morning planning to be a sacrifice he didn’t plead and plan to go out and die for black people but that’s what happened and it’s unfortunate that it happened that way but that’s what happened, so yes it was a sacrifice. He wanted to be here but he’s not here, his life was sacrificed so that the change that is happening slowly but surely can happen.

[….]

“I’m grateful because this is happening,” he added. “This is the first time in the history of America that all 50 states, 19 countries all protesting in the name of black lives matter for black people.

Yes, George Floyd thank you so much for your sacrifice thank you so much for your unfortunate sacrifice so this time and this change can be happening. I thank you and I salute, absolutely.”

OOF, at least he’s consistent.

Do YOU agree with Ne-Yo that George Floyd’s death was a sacrifice?