Remember the big blow up that happened last Summer at the BET Awards when the network made transgender blogger B. Scott change from his feminine look to a more masculine one.
It resulted in the network apologizing to Scott, who didn’t accept the apology, insisting it wasn’t real. Anyway, Scott ended up suing BET, claiming the network humiliated him by snatching him off the air because he was wearing women’s clothes.
Flash forward to today: TMZ has obtained some internal emails and texts between BET execs, that pretty much confirms they made Scott change his clothes because he looked like a woman. Scott is crying foul because he says BET knew he was a transgender person (that looked like a woman) when they hired him.
During last year’s BET Awards pre-show Scott appeared in his garb in the first segment but claims he was then ordered to change his clothes and remove his makeup. He did so but was never put back on the air.
Here’s what TMZ is reporting:
BET Music Programming Prez Stephen Hill wrote a pointed email before the show … “I don’t want ‘looking like a woman B Scott.’ I want tempered B Scott.”
Network VP Rhonda Cowan offered help, “I can speak to him about being less ‘womanly.’”
BET had a potential public relations disaster on its hands … because B. Scott went ballistic after being told to change clothes. BET producer Stephanie Hodges wrote an email shortly after the broadcast, confessing,
“He got upset and said he was going to blow this s**t up and call GLAAD.”
BET has said it “embraces global diversity” and regrets unintentionally offending anyone in the LGBT community.
But we got an email showing the network was far more cunning. It’s from BET honcho Monique Ware:
“The spin should be he was late for a live show and subsequently replaced and it would have been awkward in a live show to have the person assuming his role removed and him inserted.” It seems she’s saying it would be weird for him to come back on the air as a man.
Ware goes on … “Unless we can make public the reason we didn’t want him dressed the way he normally does, I would stay away from suits, suit selections, etc.”
In the various email and text exchanges … BET execs say Scott had been drinking, was unruly, had shown up late, and was wearing garments that were not pre-approved.
TMZ says they reached out to BET, but so far, there’s been no response
(Photo: TMZ)
