Ice Cube was originally scheduled to appear on Good Morning America on Thursday morning, but the rapper backed out, citing George Floyd’s death and the resulting discussion of police brutality as his reasoning, Page Six reported this afternoon.
“I apologize to everyone expecting to see me on ‘Good Morning America’ today, but after the events in Minnesota with George Floyd I’m in no mood to tell America, good morning,” he tweeted.
The interview was to promote his new film, The High Note , which he stars in alongside Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross. The film is scheduled to release on-demand tomorrow.
One person replied to his tweet, saying that he could have used his televised interview to draw attention to the issues surrounding Floyd’s death.
“I’m done talking. These people know right from wrong and they obviously don’t care. So what we talking about?” the 50-year-old responded.
Numerous fans of the “Check Yo Self” rapper supported his decision to back out of the Good Morning America interview. His initial tweet generated over 437,000 likes and more than 3,800 replies.
“And you’re entitled to that feeling fully. Black people owe this country NOTHING,” wrote one commenter.
“No need to apologize sir. Your decision is completely understandable. And for those who don’t understand, it’s not their decision anyway. God bless,” said meteorologist Jared Silverman.
Cube’s tweets from today were not the first time he commented on the Floyd controversy. Soon after the video first surfaced, he took to his Twitter to ponder how long it would be before black people “strike back” against “Blue on Black Crime.”
Floyd’s death has dominated newsfeeds and social media conversations across the internet since a video showcasing his death went viral on Monday. The video in question appeared to show former white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck while he struggled for air. Dozens of people noted that Floyd was unarmed when he was arrested. He later died.
He could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe,” in the footage.
Since then, Chauvin has been fired along with three other cops that were present on the scene. The video has spurred mass protests in the city as people demand justice for Floyd’s death. The deceased’s sister, Bridgett, has asked for the officers involved to be brought up on murder charges, and many others have echoed her sentiments.
As The Inquisitr reported earlier today, the Justice Department is planning a “robust” investigation into Floyd’s death.
Mood pic.twitter.com/ZFRtw12HYg
— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 27, 2020