Michael B. Jordan has apologized and said he will rename his rum brand after Nicki Minaj called it “offensive.”
The 34-year-old actor issued a statement on Instagram about changing the name of his J’Ouvert rum and said he never meant to “offend or hurt a culture,” the BBC reported in a piece published Wednesday.(RELATED: Watch Michael B. Jordan’s Gun Training Videos For ‘Black Panther’ Sequel)
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“I just wanna say on behalf of myself [and] my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love [and] respect) and hoped to celebrate [and] shine a positive light on,” Jordan’s statement read. (RELATED: Some Nicki Minaj Fans Hate The Superstar’s Wax Figure. Rapper Actually Loved It When It Debuted.)
“We hear you,” he added. “I hear you [and] want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize [and] look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of.”
Minaj, who is from Trinidad, commented on social media about the “offensive name” in a post which mentioned his liquor brand shares its name with a Caribbean carnival that has ties to slavery.
“I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean [people] would find offensive — but now that you are aware, change the name [and] continue to flourish [and] prosper,” the 38-year-old singer captioned her post directed at the “Black Panther” star.
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Earlier, Jordan’s partners had promoted the new rum with a series of posts that explained the name, the Hollywood Reporter noted.
“Derived from the Antellian Creole French term meaning ‘daybreak,’ J’OUVERT originated in the pre-dawn streets of Trinidad, as celebration of emancipation combined with Carnival season to serve as the festival informal commencements,” one post read. “Crafted on those same islands, J’OUVERT Rum is a tribute to the party start.”