Queen Latifah speaks on stage at Variety's 2022 Power Of Women: New York Event Presented By Lifetime at The Glasshouse on May 05, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Variety)
news

Queen Latifah Shares Thoughts On Lil Nas X Snub: "Inclusion Is Always Key"

Queen Latifah Shares Thoughts On Lil Nas X Snub: "Inclusion Is Always Key"

Published Sat, June 4, 2022 at 1:00 PM EDT

When BET announced the nominations for this year's BET Awards on Wednesday (June 1), rapper Lil Nas X seemed to take exception to the fact that he wasn't nominated. “Thank you bet awards," Lil Nas X tweeted. "An outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!”

He went into further detail after commentators asked why he should feel entitled to a nomination.

“idk maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year & a critically acclaimed album,” he replied. “i feel like that should’ve helped me a bit.” Nas X suggested that his being gay affects things like mainstream nominations. Queen Latifah was asked by TMZ about the controversy as she was waiting outside of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday, and she offered a take as she engaged with some fans.

Queen Latifah Stars Opposite Adam Sandler In LeBron James-Produced 'Hustle'

May 12, 2022

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 26: Queen Latifah and Mayor of Newark Ras Baraka attend the groundbreaking celebration for a new development in Newark, New Jersey on April 26, 2022

Queen Latifah Breaks Ground On Housing Development In Newark, N.J.

Apr 28, 2022

The primary cast of F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" (1996)

"They Rejected It 3 Times": The Making of 'Set It Off'

Nov 08, 2021

"Lil Nas X is amazing."

“He should’ve been nominated," Latifah replied. She acknowledged that she doesn't know why he wasn't nominated, but added that embracing diversity should be priority. "I don’t know if that’s the case. I don’t know what’s behind all that, but inclusion is always the key. That’s what we should be striving for. There’s enough room in this world for everybody.”

Latifah was appearaing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote her new movie Hustle. The LeBron James-executive produced sports drama stars Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugerman, a Philadelphia 76ers talent scout, who is tired of traveling and searching for the next unknown talent, usually at the expense of his family. Sugerman instead wants to be a coach, and Queen Latifah plays his wife Teresa, who supports him as his search around the world leads him to Spain, where he discovers Bo Cruz (played by real life NBA player Juancho Hernangomez ), who he bonds with over a shared love for family and passion for basketball.

Hustle opened in theaters on Friday (June 3), and it debuts on Netflix on June 8.

What's new