There’s that old saying that you probably heard by the time you were in kindergarten: If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.
This is not a principle that Chris Brown tends to follow, a fact he confirmed again overnight, taking to Twitter to weigh in on one of pop culture and the Internet’s most buzzed-about stories of the week.
Before we get to CB’s comments, here’s some quick context: On Tuesday, Kehlani posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed, with a caption that suggested she may have attempted to commit suicide. The post followed a day of social media storm — much of it directed negatively at her expense — after Partynextdoor posted a photo of his and her hands, implying that the two had rekindled their romantic relationship and, thus, that Kehlani’s with NBA player Kyrie Irving had ended.
Brown, a friend of Irving’s, had this to say:
Girls be mad at a nigga for fucking around wit bitches but her DMs got more names then the Declaration of Independence. #YEAHIMTHROWINGSHADE
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
They look like they have stank sex!!!!
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
There is no attempting suicide. Stop flexing for the gram. Doing shit for sympathy so them comments under your pics don’t look so bad
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
OK IM DONE. Guess she gone have to watch the games from a real “box” now. “THE TELEVISION” #OHB “OUTTA HERE BIH”
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
I’ll be the BIGGEST PIECE OF . But ima ride for my Homies regardless. KYRIE is probably one of the only good guys left. IDGAF!!!
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
The amount of followers I got and the amount of comments are the amounts of fucks I give.
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) March 30, 2016
Brown is framing this as sticking by his friend, “regardless.” That’s an honorable and important trait in a friend. Being there for someone in a time of need, when they’re going through a tough situation — that’s what friends are for. But channeling that loyalty in this way is unnecessary and foul, regardless of what may have gone on between Kehlani and Irving. You can support a friend without disparaging others.
Irving, whose Cleveland Cavaliers played against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, prior to Brown’s tweets, was, somewhat surprisingly, reportedly not asked about the initial story.
Kyrie Irving did normal postgame questions. Did not get asked about anything outside of basketball.
— Greg Swartz (@CavsGregBR) March 30, 2016
The sad bit of irony here is that just last year, Breezy himself posted a caption on Instagram that caused concern among fans and onlookers, as it suggested suicidal thoughts.
“When u tired of the fucking devil ruining your life and u hear God speak for the first time,” he wrote. “No one knows what I deal with on a day to day. The average man wouldn’t hesitate to blow his fucking brains out but that’s the cowards way out.”
Others, in contrast to Brown, have come out in support of Kehlani, including Nick Cannon, who posted a picture of a visit to her in the hospital.