Ne-Yo apologizes for comments about parents of trans kids

Ne-Yo has apologized for remarks he made about gender identity and parenting trans children.

The singer posted a statement on Twitter expressing his regret over some of the things he said during a recent interview with VladTV.

“After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity,” the statement reads. “I’ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.”

During the interview, Ne-Yo said, “I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. There was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked.”

“You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care. That ain’t my business,” he added. “It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish.”

He also commented on parents who support their children identifying as a gender that differs from their sex assigned at birth, saying, “I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is.”

“If your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl,’” Ne-Yo said. “And you just let him rock with that?”

“If you let this 5-year-old boy decide to eat candy all day, he’s going to do that,” Ne-Yo added. “When did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, let a 6-year-old, let a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for themselves?”

Critics of Ne-Yo’s remarks pointed to medical evidence that supports gender-affirming care for children and adolescents after his interview was uploaded on YouTube over the weekend.

CNN has reached out to representatives for the artist for additional comment.

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