"He should have been there": Jordin Sparks defends Chris Brown after AMA controversy

ABC/Michael Le Brecht II

Count American Idol winner Jordin Sparks in Chris Brown's corner. She joins Kelly Rowland in defending Brown following the controversy stemming from the 2022 American Music Awards.

Rowland stuck up for Brown when the audience booed his win for Favorite Male R&B Artist. The booing came after Brown claimed the AMAs nixed his tribute to Michael Jackson. It had been previously reported he was tapped to perform with special guest Ciara, but the offer was reneged last minute for unknown reasons.

It was believed Brown's dismissal stemmed from his violent physical assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. 

TMZ caught up with Sparks on Wednesday, and the singer expressed that people need to let go of the past. "We love Chris... he should have been there," she noted of her "No Air" collaborator. 

She added the 2009 incident "honestly shouldn't even be a conversation anymore," and people should instead focus on "his talent."

"They shouldn't cancel the performance. That's how I feel about it," Sparks said. "People should be able to grow and learn and be able to live their life without things hanging over them. Everybody deserves that. Him especially."

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 12:00PM by Megan Stone Permalink