T.I. Posts Apology for Comments About Hillary Clinton: ‘I Knew Better Than That’ (Video)

“And, Oprah, you’ve been to my house before. You know me better than that,” rapper says

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T.I. has taken to Facebook to apologize for controversial comments he made earlier this week, in which he said he would never vote for Hillary Clinton as president because she’s a woman.

A video posted on Thursday opens with T.I. panning across the room to prove that “there are no P.R. people. Nobody telling me what to say.” The rapper then embarked on a two-and-a-half-minute apology to the women who know him personally.

“All of you have put homes, businesses and families on your back and do things that are unthinkable and seemingly impossible,” he said. “I know you know my heart, so I know you know me, but I apologize anyway … I said some things that were insensitive and hurtful to women, so I apologize.”

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, raised hackles with comments made during an interview with D.J. Whoo Kid on Tuesday. “Not to be sexist, but I can’t vote for the leader of the free world to be a woman,” T.I. said, according to Vibe. “Just because, every other position that exists, I think a woman could do well. But the president? It’s kinda like, I just know that women make rash decisions emotionally — they make very permanent, cemented decisions — and then later, it’s kind of like it didn’t happen, or they didn’t mean for it to happen. And I sure would hate to just set off a nuke.”

His comments were met with swift criticism on Twitter.

T.I. took to the social media platform shortly after to apologize: “My comments about women running for president were unequivocally insensitive and wrong. I sincerely apologize to everyone I offended.”

The rapper highlighted that sentiment in his new Facebook video as well, saying to those who don’t know him personally, “I never intended to be taken as though I feel women couldn’t be leaders. That was not my intention, I knew better than that.”

He claims he reached for a joke that was in poor taste, which was not a true reflection of how he actually felt.

“I apologize. My intention was only to be humorous, not to disrespect,” he concluded. “And, Oprah, you’ve been to my house before. You know me better than that.”

T.I. was referring to a response to his comments from Oprah Winfrey, who told TMZ, “I want to say, ‘Honey child, hush your mouth! … You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Watch T.I.’s apology video below.

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