14 DAY TRIAL // Last weekend, at the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards, Chris Brown took to the stage to perform a Michael Jackson dance tribute and then sing his classic hit “Man in the Mirror.” The tribute did not end as planned, since Brown, overwhelmed by emotion, could hardly utter a single word, let alone sing, giving in to tears. As it happens, they could have been crocodile tears, Us Magazine claims.
Following the very touching episode, which clearly impressed those in the audience, who took it upon themselves to sing the song, speculation started to make the rounds that Brown faked the tears using the easiest trick in the book: teardrops. A source says for the aforementioned publication that the only real thing about Chris’ performance was his determination to show that he’s a changed man and that the world needs to move past the Rihanna scandal.
“Chris Brown caused a lot of chatter at the BET Awards Sunday when he broke down in tears during a Michael Jackson tribute. An insider tells Us Magazine the crying was fake. Before he took the stage to belt out ‘Man in the Mirror,’ a backstage source tells Us one of Brown’s bodyguards gave the singer, 21, tear-inducing eye drops. Brown’s rep denies it, telling Us that this account is ‘completely untrue.’ But the witness says Brown definitely used drops. Says the source, ‘He rubbed it in and he started crying’,” Us writes.
It’s not just Brown’s rep that’s denying the claims but also BET showrunner, who was backstage as the singer was paying tribute to the late King of Pop. There was nothing fake about the tears or the overwhelming emotions, Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Music Programming Stephen Hill says in a statement cited by AceShowbiz. Brown has had a very hard year and is dealing with personal stuff that few of us can even begin to imagine. That, plus the highly emotional moment, contributed to his breakdown on stage.
“I think the pressure of the year and the lyrics of that song really just resonated. And, as someone who was backstage, there was nothing fake about that. Story today about like his bodyguard gave him something to induce tears. It’s just not true. I’ve been around actors who cry and when you fake cry, you don’t get... your throat doesn’t get swollen like it does [when you cry for real]. When he was trying to sing, he couldn’t get anything out. That’s a hard thing to fake. I appreciate people wanting to create controversy, but this guy has gone though a lot this past year, let this emotion be what it is. Everybody comes to the moment where you gotta make that change,” Hill says.
Below is video of Chris Brown’s dance tribute to Michael Jackson, and the breakdown when he tries to sing “Man in the Mirror.” Watch and judge for yourselves.