Mary J Blige has said she still cannot laugh about her 2012 Burger King commercial, describing the controversy as deeply affecting her. The singer was part of an advertisement in which she sang about the brand's Crispy Chicken snack wraps to the tune of her hit song 'Don't Mind'. The ad was met with fierce criticism, with some accusing it of perpetuating racial stereotypes.
Speaking to TV personality Scott Evans, Blige said the backlash was not a laughing matter. 'The way they shot it was wrong. It was set up to make exactly what happened in the press happen like that. It's still not a laughing matter to me because I was deeply, deeply affected,' she explained. The 55-year-old said her fans were confused by the advertisement and that she felt she was 'getting clobbered for no f***ing reason'.
Blige said the experience showed her 'just how fickle' the entertainment industry can be. 'It showed me who my friends were. A lot of my so-called friends are not around anymore. I was like a disease to people. Nobody wanted to be affiliated,' she concluded. She acknowledged learning from the incident but maintained it remains unfunny.
At the time of the controversy, Burger King confirmed the advertisement was released early 'before all of the licensing and final approvals were obtained'. The fast food chain apologised to Blige and her fans. Blige herself issued a statement saying she had agreed to be part of a 'fun and creative campaign' that was supposed to feature a dream sequence, and that the leaked clip did not represent that vision.
