14 DAY TRIAL // Mary J. Blige is taking very quick and clear steps to distance herself from the controversy generated by her Burger King ad and, at the same time, to get back into the good graces of the public. You can see the ad below.
It emerged online the other day and went viral in a flash for being what bloggers deemed the best stereotypical representation of African-Americans seen on TV in recent years.
Mary's fans also helped it go viral, though their intention was merely to point out that their idol was selling out to the fast food giant by agreeing to put her name (which weighs very heavily, as you must know) on such a promo.
In a statement to TMZ, the diva explains that this was never her intention.
She understands why fans are upset and agrees with them, because they have every right to be so. However, the ad came out sooner than it was supposed to.
“I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence,” Mary says in the statement.
Such a dream sequence does not appear in the clip that made its way online, and which has already been pulled from the biggest video sharing channels.
“Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip. I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you’re a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw go out,” the singer adds.
In a separate statement to the same media outlet, Burger King too admits releasing the promo was a mistake, stressing that the release was rushed.
“We would like to apologize to Mary J. and all of her fans for airing an ad that was not final,” the company says, adding that the clip was pushed out “before all of the licensing and final approvals were obtained.”
No word yet on whether another version of the ad will come out or if the entire campaign with Mary has gone bust.
