By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
As we reported recently, TLC is in the middle of controversy after an Australian news outlet edited their interview to make it appear as if they were taking jabs at Rihanna’s risqué fashion choices.
T-Boz hopped on Twitter and clarified that she didn’t name any names and was speaking in general, but that was hours after Rihanna got the girl group together on Twitter.
But now the group is setting the record straight in a new interview and they don’t appreciate Rihanna’s method of handling the misunderstanding.
T-Boz tells Yahoo! Music:
“Someone asked a question. ‘Have I seen or have we seen Rihanna’s outfit?’ And I said no cause we’re over here touring and I didn’t know it was an awards show. I had no clue what she wore.”
Chilli adds:
“We never mentioned anyone.”
T-Boz then explains they were only trying to give a positive message to young girls looking for fame:
“We were only giving a positive message to little girls. We were saying that it’s cool if you don’t want to wear clothes. You can do what you want, we don’t care. We were talking to the little girls that want to be on television, or be singers…even like reality shows…that you don’t have to feel forced because a lot of record companies and labels say, ‘Oh you have to take your clothes off’…and they even took my comment a spade is a spade out of context and cut it up and manipulated the whole interview to get a good story.
“No, I was talking about television shows. And then they took when I said, ‘Every time I see you, you’re naked,’ and they put her picture up. Come on man. How can I talk about something I didn’t see or care about? I’m over here working.”
Chilli makes it clear she didn’t think it was cool Rihanna ran to Twitter to address the issue:
“This is my thing. When we’re talking about people not wearing clothes and being naked all the time and whatever, that’s a whole lot of people. It’s just not some artists.
“What is not cool is if we have a problem with an artist or an artist has a problem with us, come to us directly. Talk to us. Don’t start a Twitter war and all this kind of stuff. That’s silly.”
T-Boz adds:
“They should know better.”
As we reported recently, T-Boz stated on Twitter that the photo Rihanna used to clap back was actually part of a breast cancer awareness campaign. She addresses the photo’s origin once again and says:
“The one picture in 22 years of our whole career…and it was for breast cancer awareness. But one picture you find? [laughs]”
Chilli then says that they only did a few sexy poses but all of their sexy pictures had a message:
“If we do something like that, there is a reason behind it. It’s not just because we feel so comfortable and it’s what we’re doing…and it’s for nothing. Or to get attention. That’s not what we do.”
T-Boz:
“The thing that is saddening is the youth today like when you think you’re riding with an artist…and you start threatening lives and our kids. Man come on. Y’all taking it too far. Don’t nobody care. We never backtracked what we said. If we said it, we said it. I don’t have a problem. Ain’t nobody gonna spank us. So what’s going to happen? Nothing. Ok, so exactly.
“So if you have a problem and you’re in this business, holler at us. We’re grown women. I don’t play. We’re grown.”
Chilli adds:
“We’re women. We can conversate (sic) like that if you have an issue.”
Check out the clip below:
Spotted at Fameolous
Girl bye!
Hmmm…I agree that stans take things too far and Rihanna probably shouldn’t be so quick to hop on Twitter and beef with people but it’s just the times we live in. Social media brings out the worst in everyone…not just celebrities.
Agreed. Sadly I see regular people arguing on FB, IG and Twitter all the time. Generally speaking, people like to be angry on Internet for some reason.
All Rihanna ever does in pop off on Twitter because she’s a coward in person.
This!
How is she a coward? She’s one of the few celebs who isn’t afraid to speak up for herself.
She’s a coward because she always has to use Twitter to “clap back.” Wake me up when she actually claps back in someone’s face.
You’ll be sleeping forever then…lol
Lmao
Bye Felicia.
I can’t stand Twitter thugs. I mean what are they going to even do when they see T-Boz or Chilli? Not a damn thing. And Rihanna won’t do a damn thing when she sees them either with her punk a-s.
Agree!!
I have to say I agree with them on Twitter not really being the place to confront someone, but they are veterans in the game and should understand that the media will twist your words around to create drama. I hope all parties have learned from this.
It’s time for all of them to move on.
Yes it is! LOL!
It’s been time lol.
It does kinda seem like a misunderstanding but honestly I don’t know what to believe anymore. IF what TLC is saying is true Rihanna did jump the gun too fast and her stans hyped her up. I said this in a previous post stans can escalate a situation.
Yeah I agree. Stans can make any situation worse.
Agreed.
This is why I’m not really a fan of this newer generation. They put these celebs on pedestals and treat them like gods to the point that they become mentally ill and will literally hate another person in the name of “stanning.” It’s pathetic and sad. TLC has every right to speak on the current state of the music industry given all the success they had in their heyday. Rihanna needs to understand that one day she will be old news too, and she’s going to want to be respected by the younger generation of artists. I’ve never seen any artist behave the way she does when she gets criticism. She’s very childish and so are a bulk of her fans.
So basically TLC didn’t even name Rihanna? Damn.
This is a bad look for Rihanna. Not only did she come for a group that paved the way for her, but she rushed to look big and bad before she even got the whole story.
I’d believe them if it wasn’t for the fact that Chilli shaded Bey a few months ago…ON TWITTER. If they don’t want Rihanna to be messy on Twitter they need to practice what they preach.
Well I still like TLC and have respect for them. This is starting to seem like one big misunderstanding that was blown out of proportion. I hope neither TLC or Rihanna will hold grudges over this.
They are backtracking like a mug…lol
Ok it is possible that they were set up, but it’s easy for any celeb to get hyped up by their own fans, so I won’t fault Rihanna too much. I really think that is why Beyonce doesn’t get on Twitter like that. It’s just a big place where a lot of drama starts.
I just hate that Rihanna’s stans think someone in their 40s is old. :-/
They just need to keep it moving. Some people are on their side and some are on Rihanna’s. At this point you can’t change any opinions. And it really isn’t that serious anyway. At the end of the day TLC is a legendary girl group and Rihanna is doing her thing too. No need for all of this.
Rihanna’s mantra is tweet now and ask questions later. I’ve lost a lot of respect for her. She actually called TLC old THOTs. She has way too much mouth for me. One day she is going to meet her match and it will be another female celeb. Mark my words.
A story was created, Rihanna’s picture affixed to it, and the words for that story attributed to T-Boz. I’m not sure how Rihanna’s reaction was wrong here. Most stars have people who check these stories before they’re published, or aired and make sure they’re not misquoted. And if they are, the publication, etc prints a retraction. The fact that TLC doesn’t have people, is not Rihanna’s problem.
TLC has how many Grammy’s compared to Rihanna? Rihanna is very disrespectful. She’s rude and a bully and if she keeps on her career will be going down. What talent does Rihanna have anyways besides selling her body? Then you have the Navy who have no brains to think for themselves and majority of them are adults. This is a sad life in which we live in smh.
TLC has 5 Grammys. Rihanna has 4 on her own, and 3 more for her collabs. So both artists are extremely talented. Now, as far as Rihanna selling her body, show the receipts if you got them. Otherwise don’t fabricate to make a point.
Thanks sis.
She has no talent besides her body. End of story. She’s trash and her career will be going down anyday now *sips truth tea*
Didn’t you say that that years ago? And yet here you are still waiting and still bitter. Please try to get a life. You might choke on that bitter tea!
I hate Twitter and stans. I think celebs should start pressing charges on stans who make threats on Twitter. They need to be held responsible for their nutty actions.
After listening to this interview, I now feel like everyone in this situation is wrong. T-Boz should have been more clear with her comments and as a group they should be better prepared in how to deal with the media, Rihanna was wrong for jumping the gun without getting clarification. I mean Rihanna crossed the line in calling TLC old thots and hyping up her fan base to be mean and hateful to legends. No one can even tell me that it was ok for Rihanna to call TLC thots when they never even called her a slut. At the end of the day, music artists come and go. You have to be humble because you can be on top one day and flop the next. Look at what’s happening to Mariah. Everyone has their time. You can’t be arrogant and think you will always be on top. And I think Rihanna needs to slow down and humble herself. One day she will be in TLC’s shoes. And she’s going to demand respect.
This is stupid, and I hope that after this interview, TLC is done with addressing it. I haven’t followed this from the beginning and am playing catch up, but based on their responses, this does seem like one big misunderstanding. Live, let live…and move on.
Sigh
This needs to be the last time they talk about this.
Yeah looks like a misunderstanding to me. I’m over it tho.
Rihanna isn’t going to apologize for being disrespectful, and her stans probably aren’t going to accept TLC’s explanation for the misunderstanding. Even I thought T Boz was backtracking her comment, but I can believe their explanation once they explained it. However I think it would be better to just let the situation go. It’s getting real messy.
Oh can we please move on from this. Now Twitter is the blame? Why don’t these artists just stop shading one another either directly or indirectly in interviews or other media forums and this type mess won’t happen. People need to understand the time when TLC was hot was totally different than it is now. Back then when they were out, wearing baggy clothes was the “it” thing for many artists to do, Aaliyah, TLC, Xscape, etc. That was considered sexy then. When Lil Kim and Foxxy came out, people had something to say bout their style as well, but that was apart of their image. Let people dress how they wanna dress and move the hell on, geesh!
Aww I love Rihanna and TLC. It sucks this petty ish blew up the way it did.
really even if they were talking about her.and? she do be naked all the time as well as other people.an opinion is an opinion
They’re still on this?
I agree with everyone else I’m just for real tired of the whole situation, if it was a miscommunication let it go already.
Rih Rih needs to start choosing her battles wisely. TLC are LEGENDS who paved the way for many female artists like her today. As far as her tired “Stans” are concerned they be the main ones asking these celebs for autographs and pics in person.
P.S – Can you imagine the slayage Left Eye would have unleashed on Rih Rih if she was alive? God I Miss her!!