Jill Scott is trying to turn a negative comment into something positive. The 48-year-old singer took to Twitter after Kyle Queiro, a linebacker previously signed by the Dallas Cowboys, questioned Scott’s attractiveness on the social media platform.
“People are attracted to JILL SCOTT!?” Queiro wrote in since-deleted tweets. “And by no means is she ugly. But y’all really sexually aroused by her huh?”
“Wait…I’m was trending again???” Scott questioned after Queiro’s comments, before using her moment in the spotlight to advocate for Black women who have recently died.
“Ok then-JUSTICE for Breonna Taylor!!! Justice for Oluwatoyin Salau!!!! Justice for Sandra Bland!!!!!” Scott wrote. “Loving ourselves and each other is respectful and uplifting; supportive. EYES ON THE PRIZE, LOVE VILLAGE, EYES ON THE PRIZE.”
In a second tweet, Scott added that everyone’s support of her following Queiro’s comments were “very sweet.”
Queiro has since apologized for his remarks, first in now-deleted tweets where he wrote that his comments were “poorly… worded and conveyed.”
“I didn’t grow up on Jill Scott so it was news to me that she was a sex symbol, and I just tweeted. Stupidly. It was best to just delete it & take my L,” he wrote. “I’ve also seen people equating my tweet to both: fat shaming and hatred of Black women. With how prevalent that is, I can understand why people may feel that way. But that is not the case here.”
In a lengthier second apology, Queiro admitted that the topic of Scott’s beauty “should not have been shared over social media for public discourse.”
“There’s truly no excuses or explanations to be made,” he wrote. “My comments were distasteful and unbecoming of a Black man to speak negatively of a Black woman under any circumstance.”
He continued by extending his apology to those “who were also offended” by his post.
“I’m aware of the layers of hurt I peeled back with my words. I had no intention to make people feel less than, but that’s simply not good enough. Intention doesn’t equate to impact,” he admitted. “I am aware of how much more important one’s impact is than their intention. Knowing this, I still offended a large number of people and for that I am deeply sorry.”
Queiro continued his statement by promising to “strive to do better” and “utilize what platform I have to promote positivity and empowerment within our community, particularly for Black women.”
Queiro concluded by praising Scott for her statement following his remarks.
“Miss Jill Scott just did this so gracefully by taking my foolishness on an opportunity to shed more light on the injustices against Breonna Taylor and I hope to only follow in her footsteps,” he wrote.
