By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
TLC has been making headline news plenty as of late thanks to their very successful VH1 biopic “CrazySexyCool.” Although there’s been lots of good to come from the film’s popularity like a surge in record sales for the hit girl group, there’s also been lots of drama as well. As we reported recently, Pebbles Reid has confirmed that she’s siccing her lawyer on VH1 and TLC for how she was portrayed in the film, and her daughter still wants to catch Chilli in the streets. But with the return to the spotlight comes becoming an easy target for the gossip blogs more often than not. Chilli is okay with that but she’s not okay with her son Tron becoming a target too.
Apparently notorious gossip blog MediaTakeOut decided to post an article about Tron’s sexuality, a 16-year-old who didn’t ask to be in the spotlight. Chilli was devastated to read the headline which questioned if Tron was gay and she decided to fight back with a petition. In the petition, she demands for MediaTakeout and other blogs to stop going after the children of celebrities. She writes:
Most of you know me as a member of the group TLC, but everyone who knows me personally knows being a MOM is my number one priority. The health and safety of my son means more to me that any accomplishment or achievement I’ve received being an entertainer. Recently my son was targeted negatively by popular gossip site MediaTakeOut.com. I can’t describe the anger I felt at my son being ridiculed continuously by MediaTakeOut.com for no other reason than the fact that he’s my son. MediaTakeOut.com has posted numerous false stories about me, and other celebrity friends of mine and while I don’t like it, I realize that is a part of what comes with celebrity. However when my 16-year-old son is being attacked, that is when I take off the celebrity hat and become the protective Mother that I am, and I know many of you are.
She also says that she considers this type of behavior as a form of cyber bullying against children:
There are countless anti-bullying campaigns geared towards teens and I support the message with my own non-profit, Chilli’s Crew. If we can rally to stop bullying in schools and via social media. How much more should we support an anti-bullying message for entertainment websites that host millions of readers a month? Who are the advertisers posting on these sites? Why are they supporting a site bullying minors? We need to make the website and their advertisers accountable.
MediaTakeOut’s owner Fred Mwangaguhunga has since apologized for the post and he also made sure it was removed from the site.
The petition itself is taking off after only a few days after its creation, and it’s already reached over 1000 signatures.
Yeah I hate when blogs go after kids who didn’t even ask to be famous. Some things should just be off limits. Good for Chilli for actually being one of the first celebs to stand up for ALL kids.
I’m signing. That was so uncalled for and evil.
I’m trying to understand why a 16 years old’s sexuality matters and got a blog post on any website to begin with. The hell?
Wow. MTO takes things way too far. You would think people would stop giving that site so many hits considering they lie about everything. But I guess not. Smh.
Call me old fashioned but I think all kids should be off limits, even the ones who are famous and out there themselves. What they read can affect them a lot more than it would an adult. They should not be trashed on the blogs. Ever.
I completely agree.
Very good point.
A 16 year old? Really MTO? SMH!
Journalism has changed because of the popularity of blogs. Now it’s about writing the most outrageous ish to get the most hits. To hell with reporting the real news. Let’s just start writing about who looks gay and who was naked on Instagram! It’s some sad ish man. Real sad.
MTO huh? That sounds about right. For that site to get as much traffic as it does, they should do better with what they report. It’s pretty much a meaningless tabloid now. But I guess people like that because they still go to it and take everything they post as truth without using an ounce of common sense.
They have done this before to other kids. They don’t really care. The only reason Fred apologized is because Chilli created a petition. Otherwise he wouldn’t have blinked an eye.
Cosign. Had she not have made the petition, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it. And that’s the real problem.
Bullsh-t Fred probably wrote that post himself. He ain’t sorry. Smh.
LOL exactly.
THIS.
Terrible. Good for Chilli for actually doing something about it tho.
How cruel!!!! And he probably had to hear about it from his own friends!
Off topic they look just alike. How cute.
Good for her. Beyonce should make a petition for Blue Ivy because that little girl already has even more haters than her mom. Y’all should see some of the nasty tweets these bitter losers post about a child’s hair. It just reminded me how many of us have self hate issues. They want Bey to put weave in a baby’s head and that’s why most of them don’t have hair or even a hairline now. Hateful, bald headed idiots.
Signed.
Damn Right I am a pit bull when it comes to mine!!! Good for You Chili I support you 100.. and as far as that Fred thing he ain’t sorry !!!!
Blue Ivy has beautiful curly hair. I think a lot of you have hair envy or you need to have your eyes examined. Pause yourself dvd and take a really good look and stop talking about children for goodness sake!
Blue Ivy has beautiful curly hair. I think a lot of you have hair envy or you need to have your eyes examined. Pause your dvd and take a really good look and stop talking about children for goodness sake!