Kelly Rowland showed love to Chris Brown — and shushed a few of his critics — while presenting an award on stage at the 2022 American Music Awards.
After announcing Brown as the winner of the Favorite Male R&B Artist category, the 41-year-old "Dilemma" singer accepted the award on his behalf, noting that he was not able to attend the event. Amidst scattered boos from the audience, Rowland said to the crowd, "Excuse me. Chill out."
Speaking then directly to Brown, Rowland added, “Chris, thank you so much for making great R&B music. l'll take this award, bring it to you, I love you. Congratulations, and congratulations to all the nominees in this category.”
According to a viral tweet from @RNB_Radar, Brown was apparently set to perform a Michael Jackson tribute at the AMAs, but it was allegedly cancelled last minute. The tweet shares rehearsal footage showing the 33-year-old practicing a choreography for Jackson's hit "Thriller."
For years, Brown has had a long history of abusing women — including the physical assault of his ex Rihanna in 2009 among others. But this checkered past admittedly hasn't stopped major artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and even Rihanna herself from collaborating with him over the years.
This isn't Rowland's first time speaking on Chris Brown, nor is she the first celebrity to face criticism after voicing support for the singer. In 2019, Justin Bieber caught some heat when he compared Brown to the likes of Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson, and in 2021, Lizzo received backlash for calling him her "favorite person in the whole fucking world."
Watch how the moment played out below.
\u201cChile Kelly Rowland ain\u2019t playin\u2019! She had to check the crowd while announcing Chris Brown as the winner at the AMAs! \ud83d\udcf9:(@abc @gettyimages )\u201d— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) 1668998815
Photo by Getty Images / Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic