Cardi B fans show little sympathy to Offset after 'take me back' plea
When rapper Offset made an unscheduled appearance during Saturday’s Rolling Loud festival to beg his estranged wife Cardi B for forgiveness, fans were stunned. More than 24 hours later, a debate is still unfolding on social media, often pitting celebrities against her fans.
Cardi B looked displeased at the sight of Offset handing her a roses display spelling out “Take me back, Cardi” and appeared to yell at him before requesting the lights be shut off. After she had the flowers – and her ex – ushered off the stage, she continued with her set. Cardi was the first woman to headline Rolling Loud in its four-year history.
Offset’s apology, some fans said, was toxic and many pointed to a pattern of public apologies as a manipulation tactic. Many Cardi B fans believe the stunt overshadowed her big moment as a headline act and called Offset selfish for crashing the stage.
While the majority of her fans sided with her and urged her to stand her
ground, some male rappers have supported Offset. 50 Cent commented on Instagram: “Go back to that man, he loves you”. The Game posted a video in which he said: “I really feel like you need to get back together. Y’all a family unit … Y’all can’t break up.”
Other celebrities, like TI and comedian Lil Duval, have lent their voices to defend Offset. John Mayer has also come out in support of Cardi taking Offset back – yet said that he did not know him.
The split happened after leaked messages showed Offset apparently planning an affair. In attempting to justify his on-stage apology, Offset tweeted: “All my wrongs have been made public, I figure it’s only right that my apologies are made public too.”
Shortly after, Cardi B posted on Instagram that she and Offset were no longer together. In a now-deleted video, she said: “I’ve been trying to working things out with my baby father for a minute … We’re really good friends … We’ve got a lot of love for each other but things haven’t been working out between us for a long time.”
Cardi and Offset married last year and have a daughter together. Offset maintains he did not cheat but admits he was “entertaining” the idea.
Offset’s gesture has opened a debate around the pressure felt by celebrities, their peers and social media. Some fans have said Offset has continued to blame others for his infidelity and that Cardi is shouldering the consequences. Twitter user Sonia Ladd commented: “Cardi B should not have to apologise to Offset nor should she be labelled as ‘heartless’ or ‘selfish.’ Women are constantly framed as the bad ones when we remove ourself from a relationship which is toxic or a situation in which we’re mistreated, under-appreciated and disrespected.”
Others are pointing to the culture of hip-hop as being a breeding ground for the normalization of toxic behavior where men are rarely held accountable. If the roles were reversed, they ask, and Cardi B was the one who planned to cheat on him, would there be a call to forgive and forget?
This is not the first attempt at a public apology since the announcement of the pair’s separation. Shortly after the announcement, Offset tweeted, in part: “I miss Cardi.” On Friday, he took to the stage with rapper 21 Savage, who led the crowd with the chant “Cardi, Take Offset Back!” Offset has also begged for Cardi’s forgiveness on Instagram, requesting that he spend the holidays and the rest of his life with Cardi and their child.
Cardi B has recently been in the news. She was involved in a clash with Nicki Minaj at a Harper’s Bazaar party and a fight at a Queens strip club with two female bartenders. She is currently facing misdemeanor charges.
Despite these personal setbacks, she was recently nominated for five Grammys including album of the year, best rap album and record of the year.