What did Ari Lennox say about Martin and Pam from the 90s sitcom? Singer responds to backlash over her remarks

Ari Lennox has responded to the backlash over her critique of Martin and Pam from the 90s sitcom, Martin.

As seen in a video uploaded by The Shade Room, the singer first gushed over the significance of the sitcom and its makers, before acknowledging its cultural significance. She also lauded the actors of the show before asserting the importance of voicing her own thoughts. She also pointed out that she had no "ill intent" when she made the comments in the first place.

The songstress was referring to comments she previously made on a radio interview last month, during which she groaned about the character Pam frequently being the butt of the jokes:

“The thing that pissed me off about Martin was how much he was goin’ in on Pam," Ari Lennox said at the time. “There are some things where I draw the line. Pam was so f**king beautiful and so fine, and I just feel like growing up as a chocolate girl, I don’t even know if I was able to understand the greatness of Pam because of what I was being fed. Always going in on Pam, that’s all I remember.”

The controversy surrounding Ari Lennox's comments explained

In the video uploaded on Monday, Ari Lennox said of the criticism:

“If I had ill intent, I would’ve come on here with a PowerPoint presentation to support my claims about the nature of the jokes,” Ari Lennox said. "And I don't say any of this with any desire to rewrite history. Those actors and actresses are legends and I meant no harm to them. I don't need any army of people defending me or agreeing with me. That has always been a rare occurrence for me. But I feel amazing in knowing that I will validate myself and my feelings before I look to you and yours."

She continued,

“I do not seek an army of supporters to validate my feelings; I prioritize acknowledging my own emotions before considering others’ perspectives. I have never been a fan of roasting; I am quite sensitive.”

As reported by Hot New Hip Hop, back in 2022, the actress who played Pam, Tichina Arnold, from 1992 to 1997, told Jalen Rose on the issue of the mounting criticism:

“Martin cracking on Pam did not come from a mean place. Our relationship and our dynamic was really built upon, me being the best friend. It had nothing to do with color. It was not derived from that at all because that’s not how Martin is.”

At the time, she also looked fondly on her time on set, noting that the cast “had fun literally every day,” and that in the early days, “we used to have to push [Martin] on his mark because he wasn’t used to…working in front of the camera.”

She said,

“Pam was originally written for a heavyset girl. Once I got the role… they didn’t realize that I knew how to crack jokes, too. All the things that happened off camera, they started just… putting them in the script.”

What did you make of the controversy? Sound off in the comments section below.

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