Mary J. Blige still ain’t over that 2012 Burger King commercial, and she’s making it crystal clear that the whole situation was orchestrated to make her look bad.
During a recent interview, the legendary R&B icon opened up about how the fast food chain’s decision to air an unfinished version of her ad caused serious damage to her career and personal relationships.
She’s convinced the production was intentionally set up to generate the exact kind of backlash that ended up destroying her reputation in certain circles.
The commercial featured Blige singing about “crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla,” and critics immediately claimed it perpetuated harmful stereotypes.
Burger King pulled the ad within 24 hours, but the damage was already done.
“I would never laugh at that, because my true, honest fans did not think that was funny,” Blige said. “The way they shot it was wrong. It was set up to make exactly what happened in the press happen like that.”
Her words suggest she believes the entire situation was calculated to create controversy.
What makes Blige’s frustration even more intense is the personal toll the commercial took on her life.
She revealed that people distanced themselves from her after the ad aired, treating her as if she were radioactive.
“A lot of my so-called friends are not around anymore. I was like a disease to people. Nobody wanted to be affiliated,” she explained.
She also pointed fingers at her own representation, saying they “dropped the ball” by allowing her to film the spot in the first place.
Burger King issued its own apology at the time, stating, “We would like to apologize to Mary J. and all of her fans for airing an ad that was not final.”
The company blamed a contract issue for the premature release.