Legendary gospel singer Kim Burrell is no stranger to saying some questionable things and her latest interview unfortunately is par for the course once again. And as you might expect, her words are getting folks on social media all riled up. Let’s get into it!
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During a recent interview on the red carpet at the 2026 Grammys MusiCares Person of the Year Gala, Burrell was asked by Baller Alert what the one thing was that she wanted to unlearn and that others should unlearn as well. She answered that she had to unlearn how to remember the bad things about herself or that she’s done and “to correct it under the light of God.” She then said that she wanted others to learn how to forgive fast and that people can stop strictly focusing on and rehashing the “bad” people like disgraced music figures Sean “Diddy” Combs and R. Kelly have done.
“If I can be transparent, in the world of music. While they’re being stars, people like Diddy and Kelly, who are being stars in front of the world—they may have their details and whatever their news or whatever it may reveal—they’re my brothers before all of that happened,” Burrell explained. “And I don’t know how to detach from my love for them and waiting for a better day. I don’t wish to see any punishment continue especially when a person has already dealt with the repercussions thereof.”
If this news comes as a surprise then it definitely shouldn’t seeing as how Burrell recently remixed Kelly’s 2005 hit, “Trapped In the Closet” in mid-January. Clearly, she has some connection with him so this comment falls right in line.
She continued: “I’m not the law, I’m just saying I want people to unlearn how to remember a bad thing over and over and over again. To remember when they have committed what’s been considered bad—maybe they call it bad or somebody else did—they realize that they’re better than that.”
She went on to say that she’s embraced a new saying “don’t bother hating me because I already love you” and that’s the vantage point to which she’s viewing things nowadays.
Of course, one look trip to the social media streets and it’s clear that more than a handful of folks didn’t agree with Burrell at all.
“I think she should shut the hell up. That’s what I think,” said one user on X/Twitter.
“Kim Burrell has got to shut the f*ck up, enough already,” wrote another.
“They always wanna say forgive, forgive, forgive but have they asked God for forgiveness, have they asked their victims for forgiveness??? Why the onus on the black community especially the women and children to forgive such horrible men. Kim Burrell sthu,” one other user said.
Added another on Instagram: “Makes you wonder what sort of things she’s turned a blind eye to throughout her life.”
Noted one other user, “Forgiveness comes with accountability. Otherwise the offense gets repeated.”
“I’ve been ready to wrap this shit up with Kimberly,” another person said.
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