Marques Houston has come under fire over a number of interviews he gave discussing his teen wife.
Earlier this month, the Sister, Sister actor addressed the nearly 20-year age gap after marrying his wife when she was 19 and he was 38. Marques Houston says he met Miya Dickey when she was just 17 years. However, he claims the pair had “no real connection until, you know, she was of age.”
Following the interview, Marques Houston faced accusations of grooming the then-teenager. He then garnered further criticism when he attempted to address the backlash head-on.
In a follow-up interview, Marques Houston called single mothers a “red flag,” who often come with “baggage.” The 41-year-old also said he doesn’t like “women with funky attitudes,” and said most women his age are “very independent,” whereas he prefers to “provide for my wife.”
On Wednesday, Jerome Jones, aka “Romeo” of Immature fame, condemned his former bandmate’s remarks. He began by explaining he felt compelled to address the issue despite mourning the loss of his brother. Romeo apologized for the “insensitive statements,” saying, “It is never ok to degrade one group of women in order to praise another.”
He continued, declaring, “We were raised by a tribe of strong independent women,” before addressing the struggles and hardships women face. He also spoke on the specific pressures Black women encounter and pointed to “colorism in the entertainment industry.”
Romeo also highlighted the support of loyal Immature fans, “some who happen to now be hardworking single mothers.” He concluded by distancing himself from Marques Houston’s remarks: “His views do not reflect those of the group.”
Read his statement in full below.
