D.L. Hughley has called out the media for exercising double standards in its coverage of UFC president Dana White’s slap controversy compared to Black male public figures involved in similar incidents. The comedian believes white privilege is at play and that there is no denying it when White’s headlines, or lack thereof, are compared to those relating to Chris Brown, Antonio Brown and Bobby Brown.
Just days into the new year, footage surfaced of Dana and his wife Anne White as they celebrated at a club in Cabo San Lucas. In the video, Dana White is seen leaning in and saying something to Anne White, to which she responds by slapping him. Without delay, Dana White returns the slap before they are quickly separated by friends.
Dana White spoke exclusively with TMZ, telling the outlet that there is no excuse for his actions, but that he and Anne had a booze-filled night that got out of hand. “It’s never happened before… People are going to say what they’re going to say … It is what it is. And whatever people do say, it’s deserved. I deserve it,” said the Power Slap League founder. Despite the widespread social reactions to the ordeal, the public, as Hughley pointed out, has not been inundated with headlines about the issue; nor has the story been run into the ground by news outlets.
Hughley tweeted, “If one of #DanaWhites fighters had beat his wife like that, he’d already have been arrested! #TeamDl.” In a second tweet, he added, “If #ChrisBrown, #BobbyBrown or #AntonioBrown did what #DanaWhite did, the media wouldn’t stop talking about it!! What can Brown do for you?…Be White!! #TeamDl.”
The “Kings of Comedy” headliner reiterated his frustrations on Instagram, where he laid out exactly how coverage of a Black man committing the same act would have resulted in drastically different coverage. Hughley wrote, “What can BROWN do for you?” Apparently not a d**n thing! If that had been a brotha, it’d be NONSTOP coverage, dredging up a playground fight from the 3rd grade, scouring old tweets, you name it. #DanaWhite ‘s ENTIRE LIFE is immersed in brutal , physical violence, he’s amassed a fortune from it. Where are the salacious headlines?? Where’s the pressure?? Ohhhhh, he apologized #WhitePrivilege (PUN INTENDED) scores a 1st round knockout yet again. #TeamDl.”
Chris Brown was famously canceled years before the “cancel culture” movement was ever imagined, for his assault on Rihanna in 2009. He faced charges and a slew of legal troubles for well over a decade. The singer has battled his way back into the realm of respectability with fans but has struggled to escape damning headlines and efforts to be recognized at music award shows.
Bobby Brown’s name was constantly in the media for years because of his and ex-wife Whitney Houston’s turbulent relationship. The King of R&B was accused of hitting Houston on more than one occasion. In 2003, he was charged in Fulton County, Georgia, for striking the legendary vocalist. He opened up about the low point in his 2020 memoir, “Every Little Step.”
Among the scores of headlines surrounding former NFL pro Antonio Brown — there are several, ranging from his questionable business dealings with Kanye “Ye” West to his controversial exit from the game in 2021 — are two separate accounts of a domestic incident with the mother of his children. The latest incident in December 2022 resulted in charges that were later dropped.
