Angela Simmons is speaking out after her gun clutch at the 2024 BET Awards sparked backlash.
The daughter of Run-DMC founder Joseph Simmons, 36, accessorized her emerald beaded Casze Atelier gown with a matching green crystal-covered, gun-shaped handbag at the awards show on Sunday (June 30). She also appeared to be holding her purse as a weapon as she was photographed on the BET Awards carpet.
The addition immediately drew criticism online, with some noting that her ex-fiancé Sutton Tennyson, with whom she shares son Sutton Joseph, was killed by gun violence.
This prompted the businesswoman to issue an apology on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, July 2, saying she “deeply regrets” her decision to wear the accessory to the awards and reiterated that she in no way condones gun violence.
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A screenshot of Angela Simmons’ Instagram apology.
Angela Simmons/Instagram
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“When I chose the bag, I believed it was cute and unique, and I made a bad decision by using it as an accessory to accentuate my beauty,” she wrote. “I deeply regret that this item symbolizing a gun was inappropriate and insensitive, especially given my personal and community experiences with gun violence.”
Angela’s ex, Tennyson, was fatally shot 13 times outside his Atlanta home in 2018, after an argument with another man reportedly escalated. He was found dead when police arrived due to gunshot wounds.
Man who killed Angela Simmons’ ex-fiancé gets life sentence: ‘Justice has been served’
She went on to say that she understands the “pain and hurt” her decision has “caused,” especially to those “directly affected by gun violence,” because she’s also experienced it and seen its impact on her own community in “Southeast Queens.”
She also noted that she will continue to work to “reduce gun violence” through her foundation, Angela’s Angels, and shared that “gun violence is a disease that has taken too many lives.”
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“By carrying this purse, I did not intend to promote gun violence in any way,” she said in her statement. “It was a mistake that does not define who I am or my commitment to ending gun violence.”
“I ask for your understanding and forgiveness and I hope you can accept my sincere apology,” she continued. “While this incident was a misstep, I will not let it define my moral compass or my commitment to promoting peace and ending gun violence.”
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Source: HIS Education