BET Apologizes to Usher for ‘Audio Malfunction’ That Muted Parts of His Lifetime Achievement Award Speech

“We extend our sincere apologies to Usher as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night,” the network said in a statement

BET is apologizing to Usher after it says audio issues muted half of his Lifetime Achievement Award speech at the BET Awards on Sunday.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the network cited technical difficulties as the cause behind the R&B icon’s speech cutting out for viewers at home, saying, “Due to an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted.”

A spokesperson for BET added in the statement, “Celebrating global icon USHER on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honor… We extend our sincere apologies to USHER as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night.”

Per the statement, Usher’s full 2024 BET Awards speech is now available on the network’s platforms, and fans can watch it again during an encore showing tonight, July 2.

On Sunday, June 30, roughly five minutes into Usher’s speech — which followed a star-studded, women-led tribute performance — viewers watching the live telecast noticed parts of it were inaudible, at first due to language, before about four minutes were completely muted. Up until that point, the music legend, 45, talked about the importance of present fathers while reflecting on growing up without his own.

"I was trying to make sense of this name that a man gave me that didn’t stick around because he didn’t love — or at least that was my perception of it,” said Usher, "because I had to live long enough to understand that you have to have a forgiving heart in order to understand the true pitfalls and hardships of a Black man in America. And my father, he was a product of that.”

Usher added: “He made a lot of decisions — he made a lot of choices — and the one that probably hurt and helped me at the same time was to stay away."

Related: Usher Encourages Son Naviyd to 'Be Great' as 15-Year-Old Hopes to Start His Own Singing Career

During the parts of the speech that were muted, Usher recalled speaking his ambitious career goals into existence at a young age and how growth helped him now embrace being “the bastard of Usher.”

“I made something of it, and I did that because my mother, she subbed in two ways,” the performer shared while thanking his mom and former manager, Jonetta Patton. “She was a mother and a father at the same time. This is the power of a Black woman in America.”

Usher also thanked “the ones who are not here to be able to see this moment ... some of whom are fathers or were like fathers to me,” he added, naming legendary figures like Quincy Jones, the late Harry Belafonte and the “Black Godfather” of entertainment, Clarence Avant. He also honored his late grandmother, Ernestine "Tina" Carter — who died in December 2022 at the age of 87 — for all of the “wonderful things” that have happened in his life.

Once the audio of his speech was fully restored, Usher tied his touching words back to fatherhood and raising his four kids, sons Cinco, 16, and Naviyd, 15, who were in the audience (plus wife Jenn Goicoechea Raymond), and daughter Sovereign, 3, son Sire, 2, who were at home.

Related: Usher Hits the 2024 BET Awards Red Carpet in Jeans as He's Joined by His Wife Jenn Goicoechea, Mom and Sons!

He concluded by telling the audience, “We got to be willing to forgive. We got to be willing to be open. I’m telling you you’re standing before a man who had to forgive a man who never showed up ever. And look what I made with it.”

In addition to his Lifetime Achievement Award, Usher also took home the 2024 BET award for best male R&B/pop artist. Next up, the Coming Home singer is performing at the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture — which takes place in New Orleans from July 4-7 — in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his diamond-certified Confessions album. He’ll then kick off his highly anticipated Past Present Future tour later this summer.

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