Tyrese Says His Comments About Terrence Howard were ‘Twisted’
Tyrese Gibson is walking back his previous claims that Terrence Howard snagged roles from him due to colorism.
On the latest episode of the "Club Shay Shay" podcast with Shannon Sharpe, the "Fast & Furious" star opened up about everything from his upcoming album to his Hollywood experiences, including his controversial remarks about colorism benefiting the "Empire" star.
When Sharpe brought up his earlier comments, the "Sweet Lady" singer insisted that his words had been taken out of context.
"Here you go with some controversy. That's a misunderstanding. This is algorithm, Shannon," the Hollywood veteran joked.
"I never said that. You twisted my words," he emphasized, adding, "I ain't got no problem with that light-skinned man. I ain't clearing up s—t 'cause I ain't talking 'bout that Black man, and I don't want my words to be twisted or misunderstood."
In 2021, during an interview with journalist Leah Henry, the "Baby Boy" star said, "Terrence Howard has no idea how many roles that I was about to book, and they went with him because he's the lighter-skinned Black man with the green eyes."
But while speaking to Sharpe, Tyrese clarified, "That man did not take one role from me. I said, specifically, that long before it was cool to be blue-Black in Hollywood, everybody light-skinned or on the spectrum had way more opportunities going toward them than us. I never said he took one specific role from me. They never said Tyrese or Terrence."
Despite the drama, Tyrese and Terrence have collaborated on a few projects, including their 2022 action film "The System" and 2005's "Four Brothers."