It was one of the most bizarre and downright disgusting comments to ever come out of a father’s mouth, when rapper T.I said that he checked the status of his daughter, Deyjah Harris’, virginity at regular gynecologist appointments.
Now, appearing with his wife Tiny Harris, in a new interview with Jada Pinkett-Smith on Red Table Talk, the three-time-Grammy winner has apologised to his daughter, while saying that “Hymen-Gate” was “misconstrued” and “sensationalised”.
“Firstly, I came to clear up any misconceptions that have been surrounding how we interact and parent and what is appropriate and inappropriate,” he said on the Facebook show.
“My intentions have been terribly misconstrued and misconceived. All of this false narrative has just been sensationalised.”
According to the 39-year-old, whose real name is Clifford Harris, the conversation was had “in a very joking manner” and that he came from “a place of truth”.
“I began to embellish and exaggerate and I think a lot of people kinda like took it extremely literal,” he said.
“If you put any of my reputation, like who I am as a father and who I’ve been, I honestly thought people knew me better than that.”
Later, the rapper defended his comments by saying he had never been “in any exam room” and that it was “never being done in present day as an 18-year-old.”
“That is an assumption. That is a falsity,” he said. “She was 15 and 16 years old at the time.”
After she initially wanted her dad to “just let it go”, Deyjah agreed to her father’s appearance on the show to “clear up” any rumours.
While “there was never any objection” to the examinations (according to the rapper), T.I. revealed that his daughter was “not happy” that her father had spoken about her private life in such a public way.
“She did have a problem with me talking about it, however. And I understand that,” he said.
“I am incredibly apologetic to her for that. To her. To you, sweet baby Deyjah. Not to any of these other strangers and any of these weirdos who just kinda toss lies around for fun.”
WATCH: Rapper T.I and his wife Tiny on Red Table Talk HERE.
During the interview on the Ladies Like Us podcast hosted by Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham, the father-of-six came under fire for telling the hosts: that he would put a “sticky note on the door” of her bedroom after her birthday party, saying: “Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30.”
“We have yearly trips to the gynaecologist to check her hymen,” he continued. “As of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact.”
According to the performer, the trips started after Deyjah sixteenth birthday and she was “required to sign a waiver” allowing the doctor to share the “results” with her father.
The performer sparked outrage around the world for the despicable statement – with many saying that it was “her body, her right” and that his remarks were a complete breech of her privacy, with the World Health Organisation even weighing in saying that it was “a violation of the human rights of girls and women.”
Part two of T.I’s appearance on Red Table Talk airs on November 27.
