Angela Simmons is apologizing for her accessory at the 2024 BET Awards, where she sported a bedazzled gun-shaped purse. Following the backlash on social media, the 36-year-old entrepreneur and TV personality, took to Instagram to address the controversy sparked by her fashion statement. “I want to address the recent incident involving the green purse I carried at the BET Awards,” Simmons wrote Monday on her Instagram story.
“When I chose the purse, I believed it was cute and unique and I made a poor decision in using it as an accessory to amplify my beauty.” She expressed her regret for the insensitivity of carrying an item that symbolizes a gun, particularly in light of her personal and community experiences with gun violence. Her former fiancé Sutton Tennyson, with whom she had a child in 2016, was killed in a shooting in 2018.
Simmons said she “understands the pain and hurt this has caused.” Last week, U.S.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a national health crisis . Simmons acknowledged the issue surrounding gun violence in her apology, noting how it has affected many lives including her own.
“Gun violence is a disease that has taken too many lives, particularly among young people and Black men,” said Simmons, known for her role in the reality show “Run’s House.” “By carrying this purse, I did not intend to promote gun violence in any way. It was a mistake that does not define who I am or my commitment to ending gun violence.
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