e-Yo has apologised over comments which have been labelled as “transphobic” after questioning birth gender identities in an interview.
The singer was called out after an interview with Gloria Velez for VladTV, which was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday.
“I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman,” Ne-Yo said.
“And there was [sic] two genders, and that’s just how I rocked,” he added.
The 43-year-old continued: “You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care.
“That ain’t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man. We do.”
In the aftermath, the R’n’B singer was met with a backlash with some online calling out his comments as “transphobic”.
Ninigutz wrote on Twitter: “Ne-Yo being nasty asf and transphobic is reasonable when he is broke as hell and felled off.”
Coco added in response to a Pop Crave tweet: “Ne-Yo came out as transphobic and misogynistic, you mean. We figured.”
Ne-Yo has now responded with an apology: “After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity,” he tweeted on Sunday.
“I’ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.
Ne-Yo (pictured in 2015) has released nine studio albums
/ PA“Gender identity is nuanced and I can honestly admit that I plan to better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy.”
Ne-Yo released his ninth album Self Explanatory last year although it failed to chart in the UK.
Earlier in 2023, he got divorced from his second wife Crystal Williams after allegations that he fathered a child outside their marriage.