While Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson and other performers turned in the holiday season, Flavor Flav was at odds with the festive spirit at the Rockefeller Christmas event.
In a now-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, the 65-year-old rapper shared an unpleasant encounter with security during his visit to NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center event in New York City on Wednesday, December 4.
“I feel weird,” Flav, whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr., wrote, explaining that he was in the Backstreet Boys’ dressing room when a security guard approached and told him, “NBC does not want me in this area, and I need to leave.”
He concluded the post by asking, “What did I ever do to NBC or anyone? All I ever do is try to spread joy and love, and I think I did that for NBC at the Olympics.”
Hours after the hip-hop artist deleted the post, he shared a follow-up message saying, “My spirit is broken.”
The next day, the Flavor of Love star returned to X with a lengthy statement explaining why he had deleted the tweet, sharing he was embarrassed by the language and actions of the security guards.
“The situation was poorly handled, and I didn’t realize how many people would care. I thank all y’all for the love, and this is the season to spread love and joy,” he wrote.
Despite the unpleasant experience, Flav didn’t want to cloud the festive event for the other performers.
He praised Jennifer Hudson’s performance before expressing admiration for the Backstreet Boys.
“I gotta say, Howie D is one of the nicest guys in the music industry—real good people, ya know?” the Public Enemy No. 1 hitmaker says.
Although the Backstreet Boys have yet to comment publicly on the incident, Flav acknowledged their support, writing on X, “They spoke up for me. They sure did.”