*After being asked by BET to scale back on his normally feminine look to host the pre-awards show, TV personality B. Scott is not accepting the network’s “apology.”
B. Scott, an openly gay fashion and advice columnist, claims that the network pulled him off the red carpet coverage for Sunday’s show to change his appearance. He says they made him pull his hair back into a ponytail and take off his heels and long flowing black shirt in exchange for flats and a suit.
BET stated the incident “was a singular one with a series of unfortunate miscommunications from both parties. We regret any unintentional offense to B. Scott and anyone within the LGBT community and we seek to continue embracing all gender expressions.”
However Scott feels the apology is insincere as he was always forthcoming about what he planned to wear on air.
“I want a real apology from BET. This was a not a mutual misunderstanding or miscommunication. I pride myself on being very professional,” he said.
BET has used Scott as a personality in the past with him typically sporting feminine attire. However upon arriving to the pre-show, Scott says he was under the impression that he would be hosting the fashion segments alone but was met with a different plan by the network. According to him, he was yanked off the carpet, made to dress more conservatively and then paired with singer-actress Adrienne Bailon.
“This was my day to come out in one of the biggest days of my career and I was publicly humiliated,” he said. “I’m just hurt by it. I just want people to know that it’s Ok to be who you are.”
Luckily for Scott he said he had some supporters at the network but he believes that a single executive made the last minute changes. In terms of working for BET again he said he would “if I knew for sure that they wanted me to be there and I could express myself how I normally express myself and my brand.”
BET expressed that it had worked with several LBGT personalities in the past without incident and said it “embraces global diversity in all its forms and seeks to maintain an inclusive workforce and a culture that values all perspectives and backgrounds.”
And with that, the ball is back in BET’s court.
Via EURweb
