Usher was celebrated with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards, but an overzealous attempt at censorship marred the moment. During his acceptance speech, Usher’s use of profanity led to nearly the entire speech being muted for the viewing audience, sparking frustration and outcry from fans.

In his speech, the Atlanta superstar expressed gratitude towards many individuals, including Johnta Austin, his wife Jennifer Goicoechea, his children, and even LeBron James and his son Bronny. However, after uttering a single curse word, the censoring team muted the majority of his speech, leaving fans with just snippets of his heartfelt thanks.

Social media erupted with reactions, many poking fun at the aggressive censorship. One user shared a gif of Pharrell Williams hitting a red button repeatedly on “The Voice,” captioned, “The censor person in the back during Usher’s speech.” Another posted a gif of Bow Wow playing an imaginary piano during his 2021 Verzuz, highlighting the absurdity of the prolonged muting.

Fans demanded BET rectify the situation by releasing the unedited speech. “Are they gonna upload Usher’s unedited speech on BET+ or something? This consistent muting is ridiculous,” one user tweeted. Another echoed, “It’s the silent acceptance speech for the viewers at home for me. Just go to commercial. Congratulations, Usher! Sh*t.”

One fan humorously referenced the Source Awards, stating, “Usher cussing up a storm up there like it’s the Source Awards. BET took away my audio; can’t even hear the speech,” accompanied by laughing emojis. Despite the humor, it was clear fans were genuinely disappointed not to hear Usher’s full message.

The controversy followed a tribute performance that received mixed reviews. Performers including Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Victoria Monét, Chlöe, Coco Jones, Tinashe, Latto, and Marsha Ambrosius honored Usher with renditions of his hits such as “U Don’t Have to Call,” “Bad Girl,” “Good Kisser,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Superstar,” and “Yeah!” While Usher remained in good spirits, fans were vocal about their dissatisfaction with both the tribute and the censorship.

Fortunately, Usher had earlier delivered a complete speech when accepting the award for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, allowing fans to hear his gratitude and reflections on his journey in the music industry.