By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Russell Simmons has been one of the most respected people in Hip Hop for years, but the business mogul managed to become a target of criticism and controversy after he posted a video of a Harriet Tubman parody to his YouTube channel that angered a lot of people. In the controversial video, the actress portraying Harriet Tubman plotted to blackmail her slave master by making a sex tape of them without his knowledge and she believed the footage would be enough to free all of the slaves. Russell originally said the video was one of the funniest he’s seen in a very long time, but he eventually removed the video and apologized for it later.
Russell’s apology wasn’t enough to make people forget about the very controversial video, and he’s been getting slammed for it ever since. Although Russell attempted to apologize and even said he’s working with Harriet Tubman’s family to make a biopic about her life, many in the African-American community are still disgusted by his actions.
Apparently the business man is still on the defensive side about the backlash, because during his recent appearance on the Arsenio Hall’s late night show he called those offended by the video “do-nothing negroes,” and then said people were trying to make him the next Paula Deen. When describing the video, he says:
“It was this idea that this slave took advantage of a slave master and black mailed him.
And it really struck a nerve with people and hurt their feelings, so I pulled it down within a few hours of it going up, and I tried to move on.“But a lot of these do-nothing negros, they were very angry and kept talking, so it’s been very tough for me. hey tried to turn me into Paula Deen.”
Check out the clip below:
Oh snap! *pulls up lawn chair, pops open beer to enjoy comments*
Did he really say negroes? If this man isn’t a self hating uncle tom I don’t know what is!
This is what happens when a black man refuses to come out the closet…
Russell please shut the phuck up. Your “apologies” are worst than the video itself. C*on.
Every time Russell opens his mouth he sets us back like 100 years ugh.
Hey Russell, you hate for black people is showing again. You’re going to want to sell us a crappy debit card again, so you might want to tread lightly.
Negroes?! This man is an embarrassment to black people everywhere. No wonder he thought a Harriet Tubman sex tape was funny.
This is just more proof that he didn’t mean that apology. Deep down inside he thinks there was nothing with that video, and he only apologized so people would move on. Now that people haven’t, he’s just letting his true colors show.
Welp, I won’t be supporting anything else this idiot does.
Russell needs his a-s whooped.
He thinks just because he has thrown some money into some “causes” that he can talk down to black people. But all the good things he’s done gets negated when he makes comments like this. He’s a sad case and he needs to shut up now.
Okay so no one needs to buy his cheap a-s clothes and his high interest debit cards. Don’t make this self hating bastard any richer than he is.
Do nothing negroes? Russell, baby that’s actually more fitting for you. You only do things in the community for tax write off purposes. It’s obvious your heart was never in it because all you have ever done is talk bad about your own people and push terrible products that only end up hurting us. Those debit cards have ridiculous interest rates, and Baby Phat is ratchet clothing that sets black women black 400 years. You ought to be thankful you even have what you have because you don’t deserve it.
His mom should have swallowed. Now we’re stuck with this idiot.
SMDH. I am done with this fool.
Oh stfu already!!!!!
Does he not know he’s black? I don’t understand.
Oh he does, he just wishes he wasn’t.
I’m not surprised he said this. Russell has always hated black people. Look at the women he dates and the businesses he’s associated with. Stop making him wealthy. Now. He hates all of us.
I’ve never supported Russell and will continue to never support him. He’s a fool.