Queen Latifah has explained the thinking behind one of the most talked-about moments in recent awards show history.
In a new interview with Angie Martinez on her “IRL” show, the legendary rapper and actress opened up about why she chose her 2021 BET Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech to publicly acknowledge her partner, Eboni Nichols, for the first time. As theGrio previously reported, Latifah’s speech, which ended with “Happy Pride,” marked a defining public moment after years of guarding her personal life closely, and she made another rare public gesture earlier this year when she shouted out Nichols on Instagram after the Grammys.
“Well, it was Pride Day and shit,” Latifah said with a laugh. “I can’t do just regular shit.”
When Martinez pointed out that she made a deliberate choice to do it, Latifah confirmed it and kept her reasoning plain.
“I was getting a lifetime achievement award and I didn’t want to leave out the people who were part of the lifetime. Yeah, it’s about that. It’s really that simple. It’s so not more complicated than that. And It’s funny because it’s it’s not always that deep,” shared Latifah.
Latifah also spoke about why she had stayed quiet about her sexuality for so long before the moment. “When I was growing up, or kind of hanging out, people, even in this business, are just so fascinated about people’s private lives. Is it because you’re curious? Is it because you’re intrigued? … I mind my business.” She added that she viewed speculation about her sexuality as something that benefited others, not herself. “This is not for me,” she said.
Da Brat, who has spoken previously about Latifah’s influence on her own decision to come out, weighed in on what the moment meant for artists of her generation. “It was against the rules back in the day for a female artist,” Da Brat said. “You couldn’t do that. You couldn’t tell that. Remember Ellen DeGeneres lost everything back in the day.”
Latifah is set to host the American Music Awards on May 25.
