{"id":25940,"date":"2025-01-06T14:05:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T19:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=25940"},"modified":"2025-02-13T19:13:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T00:13:32","slug":"kirk-franklin-apologizes-8-months-after-controversial-jamaica-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/01\/kirk-franklin-apologizes-8-months-after-controversial-jamaica-performance","title":{"rendered":"Kirk Franklin Apologizes After Controversial Jamaica Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kirk Franklin \/ YouTube | @only1way2god \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kirk Franklin has issued an apology eight months after facing criticism for his attire while performing at a Christian concert in Jamaica. Franklin joined other gospel performers at the Fun in the Son Concert on April 20, which is sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken, whose head company, Jamaica Broilers Group, promotes Christian values. Franklin appeared on stage in a tank top and shorts, flexing his muscles and gyrating to some of the choreography. Clips of Franklin\u2019s performance received mixed reviews, with some noting that Franklin was in great shape and others saying his performance was too centered on his physique. \u201cI think that was the aim. I walked out during his first song! This jus[t] didn\u2019t sit well with me how he was behaving on that stage. I thought i was at an Usher concert!\u201d wrote one concertgoer<\/a>. Jamaica Broilers Group President and CEO Christopher Levy, a Christian, said in a statement that the company \u201cexpected more\u201d of Franklin. \u201cWhen we engage an artist, it is with a degree of trust that the artist will be aware and sensitive to their audience. We expected more from Mr. Franklin,\u201d he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Franklin released a video<\/a> on social media which finally addressed the criticism he\u2019d received.\u00a0 \u201cI am aware now that my choice of attire, which as a team we thought was going to be fine being outside in the weather, was going to be something that would not come across as disrespectful,\u201d said Franklin. \u201cI\u2019ve spent most of my career dancing and moving around and jumping on stage that I didn\u2019t know that I would ever do anything that would ever offend anyone in any community, but it did. And because it did, I sincerely apologize.\u201d He shared that he wanted to be able to learn from his mistakes and hear criticisms from others. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what my goal and intent is, if I\u2019m louder than the message of Jesus, then I failed,\u201d he said. Franklin also addressed other controversial performances, including a time he began twerking on a female singer, and a viral video of him dancing with Marvin Sapp<\/a>. Franklin described himself as \u201csilly\u201d and having fun. \u201cI am who I am, whatever I am,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Responses to the apology were as mixed as responses to Franklin\u2019s performance. \u201cI love Kirk Franklin, but why is he apologizing for wearing shorts and a tank in Jamaica? That\u2019s crazy!\u201d asked one user<\/a>. Others called Franklin a false prophet, referring to other controversies, including a leaked phone call where he cursed out his estranged son. \u201cI feel like he\u2019s apologizing for \u2018acting a fool\u2019 in public, but would still do the same off stage,\u201d wrote one user.<\/a> \u201cThat\u2019s not integrity tho. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kirk Franklin has issued an apology eight months after facing criticism for his attire while performing at a Christian concert in Jamaica. Franklin joined other gospel performers at the Fun in the Son Concert on April 20, which is sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken, whose head company, Jamaica Broilers Group, promotes Christian values. Franklin appeared…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":25922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian"],"yoast_head":"\nKirk Franklin Apologizes After Controversial Jamaica Performance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2025\/01\/kirk-franklin-apologizes-8-months-after-controversial-jamaica-performance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kirk Franklin Apologizes After Controversial Jamaica Performance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kirk Franklin has issued an apology eight months after facing criticism for his attire while performing at a Christian concert in Jamaica. 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Franklin joined other gospel performers at the Fun in the Son Concert on April 20, which is sponsored by Best Dressed Chicken, whose head company, Jamaica Broilers Group, promotes Christian values. 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