Joe Budden apologizes after DJ Olivia Dope accuses him of sexual harassment

In a statement, Budden claims to recognize his "words and power" in the situation

May 18, 2021

In an official statement released on Tuesday, Joe Budden apologized after Olivia Dope accused him of sexual harassment.

As theGrio previously reported, DJ Olivia Dope accused Budden of sexual harassment, detailing in an Instagram video that the harassment led to her leaving the podcast, “See, The Thing Is…”.

In the caption on the video, she wrote, “Episode 16 of ‘See The Thing Is…’ was the final straw of 3 months on the JBN. It took a lot to get to this point to speak up, but the healing begins now.”

Per Rolling Stone, Budden’s official apology reflects on Dope’s accusations, saying that he recognizes his “words and power” in the situation.

The apology reads, “As a podcaster, it is my job to address topics and create dialogue around them. During the conversation on the See, The Thing Is podcast I didn’t handle the topics with the sensitivity they deserved. I recognize my words and power in that situation created an upsetting environment for Olivia. Upon reflection, both the network and I take accountability for this.”

The apology continues, “I apologize sincerely to Olivia, her former co-hosts, our staff, and the public. In an effort to not further any trauma, the episode will be removed from all platforms. We support all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace. We fell short of that in this instance.

We support Olivia in her quest to heal, applaud her for finding the strength to share her experience, and wish her the best in all her future endeavors. I am taking the time to listen and learn; we have already begun to make the necessary changes to ensure this is a safe environment for all moving forward. We at the network endeavor to continue to elevate Black women’s voices and create opportunities to have constructive conversations to impact change.”

DJ Olivia Dope’s official video from Monday was seen by over 100,000 people as of Tuesday.

In the video, Dope said, “I am here today, still uncomfortable, but I find the bravery to speak out on a very embarrassing situation.”

She continued, “On Jan. 18, 2021, Joe Budden sat in on a recording of the female-led podcast I was a part of and continuously made sexual, suggestive remarks to me that made me extremely uncomfortable as well as fearful of dampening the mood if I didn’t laugh along while he made those sexual remarks to me. Those moments not only live on the internet forever, it also forced me into the decision of quitting the podcast.”

Watch Olivia Dope’s official video detailing her story below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @oliviadope

Comments on the post were mostly supportive with many saying that Budden is well-known in the industry for similar behavior.

Necole Kane of XONecole posted in the comments:

“In the era of #metoo! It’s baffling that men in the entertainment industry, especially Hip Hop still feel entitled to making comments like these. Like sir, have some tact and respect. It’s awful and there is no accountability because the moment a black woman speaks up, she’s accused of trying to bring a brotha down. And let’s not talk about how sharing truth can affect someone mentally, their stability financially etc

This was very brave of you. I stand with you. Sending you so much love during this time. Much respect for being a good example for hour daughter and other women coming up in the industry behind you.”

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