T.I. caught some serious heat recently for claiming that he takes his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah Harris to the gynecologist annually to “check her hymen.”
On the latest episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, the rapper, joined by his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris, finally addressed the controversy, which T.I. says was a joke that went way too far, Gossip On This reports.
“I think this surrounds a conversation I was having in a very joking manner. I just began to—from a place of truth—I began to embellish and exaggerate,” the rapper said.
“I think people kinda took it extremely literal, because if you put any of my reputation… Who I am as a father, who I’ve been… I honestly thought people knew me better than that.”
Tip said he’s never been in the room with his teen daughter while she’s undergoing a gyno exam, but he has been informed about the results. He also noted that Deyjah’s mom attended the appointments as well, and the only time he accompanied his daughter to an exam was when she was 15 or 16.
Deyjah had “no objection” to him accompanying her to gyno appointments, but she’s embarrassed that he made public a private matter.
“I understand it and I am incredibly apologetic to her,” T.I. said. “Not to any of these other strangers or any of these weirdos who toss lies around for free,” he added.
“My daughter said, ‘Let it go, don’t say nothing, just let it go,’ and I didn’t [say anything] … Until I had different directives. ‘Okay, go ahead, make it stop. Clear it up.’ I would not be here today had I not had those different directives. I’d still be sitting in silence.”
Watch part 1 of Jada’s sit-down with T.I. above, part 2 premieres next Monday.
Following T.I.‘s appearance on “Red Table Talk,” Deyjah’s mother, Ms. Niko, took to Instagram to share her reaction to the interview.
She posted a quote on her IG Story that read, “…WHEW CHILE, THE NARCISSISM…“
