Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
If you’ve been keeping up with the goings-on of the Internet, you’ve probably heard that Kirk Franklin had an argument with his son Kerrion that was recorded by the child, in his 30s and not a literal child, and released onto the Internet. Understandably embarrassed about audio coming out of him using some strong expletives and threatening Kerrion, which runs counter to the star’s image, Kirk released a video apologizing for his behavior.
He noted that his family has had a “toxic relationship” with his eldest son. During a conversation gone left, Kirk said he felt “extremely disrespected” but admitted he used words that were not right to direct towards his son. He said he did hang up to call their family therapist to try and intervene, but that part of the conversation wasn’t shared.
“I’m not perfect, I’m human and I’m going to make mistakes but I’m trying to get it right,” he said in the clip. “Please keep me and my family in your prayers.”
But if you ask radio personality Rickey Smiley, and others, Kirk had nothing to apologize for. After releasing a video called Kirk Franklin Didn’t Need to Apologize on Sunday, Smiley took to his popular show on Monday to share an impassioned take on the matter. He said kids like Kerrion, who aren’t grateful for the things their parents sacrifice for them, should no longer be able to have access to them.
“Cut ’em off parents! Whoever said blood is thicker than water is the biggest lie that’s ever been told,” he said. “It’s people that’s not related to you who will show you more love and respect than your own biological kids or nieces or nephews or cousins or mama or daddy. Family is people who you surround yourself with who give you love and affection. That’s your family. You get to create your family. You don’t get to choose who you’re biologically related to but you get to create who you surround yourself with.”
Kirk, who Smiley said is like a “brother” to him, implored him and others in volatile relationships with their grown children to not deal with disrespect.
“Stop kissing these kids’ a– just because they’re yours or trying to overcompensate for their lack of — father not being there, mother not there. Love who love you,” he said. “Love yourself enough to not get disrespected by no negro! Whether they’re yours or not, cut ’em off!”
Smiley touched on his own experience without naming names of having entitled loved ones who weren’t grateful and talked to him any kind of way in the heat of the moment.
“People that you ain’t did nothin’ for love you to death…and then people that you have made personal sacrifices for — stood on stage and did three shows in a comedy club and you done did radio that morning, you got three shows at the Improv to pay tuition, only to be disrespected and called all kinda ‘F’ ‘Ns.’ C’mon!”
He said in his own case, Kirk Franklin’s, Brian McKnight’s and more, they don’t owe their adult children a thing.
“Stop giving ’em so much. Focus on giving kids more of what we had as opposed to what we did not have,” he said. “The message in all this? Love who love you. And if they don’t love you and can’t give you the respect, to hell with ’em. Block ’em out of your phone and block ’em out of your life. Let them negroes go and be a nuisance to somebody else.”
Kirk Franklin and wife Tammy have a daughter named Kennedy, who has spoken up in defense of her father, and a son named Caziah. Separately, Tammy has a daughter named Carrington from a previous relationship whom Kirk legally adopted, and Kerrion is Kirk’s son from one of his own.
