David Guetta got significant backlash after a tribute dedicated to George Floyd that he gave during his live-streamed “United at Home” benefit for coronavirus relief last week.
The event, which raised $670,000, focused mostly on the coronavirus pandemic, but Guetta took a few moments in an attempt to honor Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week and whose death sparked public outrage.
Guetta said, “The world is going through difficult times, and America too, actually. Last night, I knew we were going to do this, and I made a special record … in honor of George Floyd. I really hope we can see more unity and more peace when already things are more difficult.” He then proceeded to give a “shout out to [Floyd’s] family.”
As he spoke, a remix of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech played against dance music, which did not seem to match at all.
Guetta’s performance almost immediately went viral on Twitter as viewers found his tribute to be disrespectful.
Twitter user @AdequateEmily said, “We’ve found it. The whitest way to react to racism.”
@SymphaniSoto tweeted, “David guetta really said “shout out” to George Floyd’s family like he shouting out his friend at the club a dummy.”
@HudMo added, “Dono where to start w counting the levels of tone deaf and wrong here.”
On June 1, Guetta posted an instagram for the Music Industry Black Out Tuesday, which he explained was a way to encourage members of the community to take the time to “disconnect from work and reconnect with our community.”
He said, “as gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during a loss.”
He captioned this statement with two hashtags, “#theshowmustbepaused #blacklivesmatter.”
