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Michael B. Jordan has a new rum coming out, but he is changing the name after receiving some backlash and being accused of cultural appropriation, amplified by Nicki Minaj in a social media post.
Recently, Jordan's girlfriend, Lori Harvey, took to social media to congratulate Michael on the launch of a rum called J'Ouvert, also sharing some photos from the liquor brand's launch party. She wrote, "Congratulations on the launch of your rum baby!!! I'm so proud of you!!!"
After the photos surfaced and the name of the rum made the rounds on social media, many from the Caribbean community expressed their concern over the name. J'Ouvert is a festival that is held each year in Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada and kicks off Carnival, celebrating Caribbean culture and history.
Nicki Minaj, who is Trinidadian-born, took to her Instagram to re-share a detailed explanation of J'Ouvert and the history behind it, and captioned the post while also asking Michael to change the name of his rum, "I'm sure MBJ didn't intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean pple would find offensive — but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper."
Now, Jordan has taken to his Instagram to respond to the backlash, and share that he will be changing the name of his liquor brand. In a statement, he wrote:
"I just wanna say on behalf of myself and my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love & respect) and hoped to celebrate and shine a positive light on. Last few days has been a lot of listening, a lot of learning and engaging in countless community conversations ... We hear you. I hear you and want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize and look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of."