Alert – Sexyy Red slammed by Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice over ‘deplorable and disrespectful’ AI pic

Sexyy Red was chastised by Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, over a controversial AI image she posted on the national holiday marking the birthday of the late civil rights leader.

Bernice, 61, asked the 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Janae Nierah Wherry, to take down the image, which depicted Sexyy Red holding hands with the iconic American activist, who was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the old Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

‘This is intentionally distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful to my family and my father, who is not here to respond himself because he was assassinated for working for your civil and human rights and to end war and poverty,’ Bernice said in a tweet, asking Sexyy Red to ‘please delete’ the post, which she did.

In a subsequent post, Bernice told her followers that she had nothing against the TikTok personality, but took offense to the depiction of her father in that vein.

‘Please don’t project your thoughts onto me,’ Bernice said. ‘I don’t believe Sexyy Red to be a “degenerate,” “ghetto,” or “trash.” 

‘I have spoken out in the past about the use of and comparison to either of my parents to denigrate other people.’

Sexyy Red, 26, was chastised by Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, 61, over a controversial AI image she posted on the national holiday marking the birthday of the late civil rights leader. Pictured onstage in Detroit Sunday

Bernice asked Sexyy Red to take down an image posted on social media which depicted the St. Louis native, a popular TikTok personality, holding hands with the iconic American activist

Bernice said she didn’t understand ‘this type of use’ of her late father’s image ‘in a way that does not convey what we know to be true about his service and sacrifice,’ particularly ‘on #MLKDay, no less.’

Bernice added, ‘Even if you disagree with him or with his tactics or even believe things said about him by people who hated him, why do this?’

While she took the initial post down, Sexyy Red initally left up another phony image incorporating the image of the late Martin Luther King Jr. during his March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. August 28, 1963.

In the altered image – captioned ‘Happy MLK Day!!’ – Sexxy Red was standing alongside King (who made his famed I Had a Dream speech that day) with a stack of cash in hand.

Also photoshopped into the shot was musical artist Chief Keef, and a sign that read, ‘G.B.E. [Glory Boyz Entertainment] F*** TRUMP.’

Sexxy Red on Tuesday evening acknowledged Bernice’s post, ‘You ain’t wrong, never meant to disrespect your family my apologies. Just [reposted] something I saw that I thought was innocent.’ 

Bernice replied, ‘Thank you for your apology, which I sincerely accept. Please know that it was not my intention that you be denigrated. I value you as a human being.

She continued, ‘I hope you understand my concerns about the image. I know that my father has become a bit of a caricature to the world and that his image is often used with no regard to his family, his sacrificial work, or to the tragic, unjust way in which he died (a state-sanctioned assassination).

Bernice, pictured Monday in Atlanta, called the image ‘distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful’

Bernice called out Sexxy Red for her controversial tweets, clarifying it was not personal against the musical artist 

While she took the initial post down, Sexyy Red left up another phony image incorporating the image of the late Martin Luther King Jr. during his March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. August 28, 1963 

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the old Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Pictured in 1967

Sexxy Red, pictured last month in Atlanta, on Tuesday evening acknowledged Bernice’s post

She said, ‘You ain’t wrong, never meant to disrespect your family my apologies. Just [reposted] something I saw that I thought was innocent’

‘Unfortunately, I regularly challenge the disregard. I earnestly wish that people would imagine what it would feel like to see their deceased, murdered father repurposed for party fliers, unjust legislation, etc. All the best to you, young lady.’

Prior to the exchange, reactions varied to the incident, with many concurring with Bernice’s assessment, as a number of X/Twitter users condemned the musical artist – whose hits include Pound Town, Get It Sexyy and Whatchu Kno About Me – over the AI image featuring King.

‘It’s sad when people don’t understand the weight of history and the respect that should be shown,’ one user said.

Another said they had ‘respect for Bernice King speaking out,’ as ‘that image crossed a line.’

Said one user: ‘It’s essential to approach historical figures with the respect they deserve, especially given their sacrifices for civil rights.’ 

Some people said they suggested Sexyy Red should – and would – face professional repercussions from the social media kerfuffle, as one user tagged Bruno Mars and urged him to cancel a collaboration they had in the works.

Another person said, ‘And just like that sexy red career is done. There’s certain lines you don’t cross.’

Another added, ‘I stopped playing her music and unfollowed her on Spotify because of this!’ 

Bernice graciously accepted the apology from Sexyy Red and wished her well moving forward 

Reactions varied to the incident, with many concurring with Bernice’s assessment 

Another user commented that the exchange was par for the course with Sexyy Red, who’s ‘always getting herself caught up in some nonsense.’

One user took to Sexyy Red’s defense, saying that the image featuring the late legend wasn’t made by the rapper, had been making the rounds on social media and was relatively innocuous.

The user said: ‘Girl relax that photo BEEN viral. she didn’t make it! and he’s not even doing anything bad in it unlike some other ones circulating.’

Bernice earlier Monday presided over a Martin Luther King Jr. Day service in Atlanta at the late leader’s former church, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the AP reported.

‘We are living in a time when anti-woke rhetoric has become a weapon to divide us and distract us from the real issues of injustice,’ Bernice told the congregation during the service, which coincided with Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Said Bernice: ‘To be woke is to be aware of oppression and commitment to justice.’