Ellen DeGeneres has confirmed that Kim Burrell will not appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after the gospel singer made an anti-homophobic remark. Burrell had been booked to appear on the famous talk show to perform 'I see a victory' from biographical comedy-drama film Hidden Figures. But after her remark, the TV host has decided to cancel the performance on her show.
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DeGeneres took to Twitter to confirm the news. She tweeted: "For those asking, Kim Burrell will not be appearing on my show."
The remark came to light after a video of the singer emerged on social media. The video shows Burrell suggesting that gay people will die in 2017 "due to their sins."
The 44-year-old singer addressing gathered audience said, "I came to tell you about sin. That sin nature. That perverted homosexual spirit, and the spirit of delusion and confusion, it has deceived many men and women, and it's caused us pain on the body of Christ."
In the two-minute odd video, Burell adds, "You as a man, you open your mouth and take a man's penis in your face, you are perverted. You are a woman and will shake your face in another woman's breast, you are perverted."
Addressing the incident, singer Pharrell Williams expressed that he condemned hate speech of any kind. "There is no room in the world for any kind of prejudice. My greatest hope is for inclusion and love for all humanity in 2017 and beyond," he tweeted.
The two artists were set to make an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote film Hidden Figures. Based on a true story, Hidden Figures shares the story of three African-American women, played by Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, who were the brains behind launching NASA astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanised the world.
The film was released in selected theatres over Christmas, and the worldwide release is scheduled on January 6.
