Angela Simmons, the daughter of Run-DMC’s Rev. Run, stirred up a storm of controversy while walking the blue carpet at the 2024 BET Awards in Los Angeles.
While on the carpet on June 30, Angela Simmons wore an emerald green jewel-embellished dress by Casze Atelier and accessorized it with a bedazzled green “gun,” which was presumably a handbag. The “Growing Up Hip Hop” star stood confidently on the carpet with her fake pistol, even at one moment pointing it at the paparazzi.
This fashion choice left many fans perplexed about Simmons’ train of thought, especially given the tragic circumstances surrounding the loss of her son’s father, Sutton Tennyson, to gun violence. The juxtaposition of her public appearance with a bedazzled gun against the backdrop of Tennyson’s violent death sparked a wave of reactions.
After The Shade Room posted a few photos of Simmons’ look, fans quickly criticized her for her audacity.
“Considering her baby father was killed and her current boyfriend’s brother was just killed, this is an interesting choice,” said a commenter on X.
One person gave some straight talk, “Angela Simmons son is growing up without his Father & never even had the chance to know him because he was a victim of gun violence & she wants to be a corny low life goof walking around with a clip as a prop. This can’t be the legendary Rev Run’s daughter.”
Some even suggested Angela’s fashion faux pas might be influenced by her trap rapper boyfriend, Yo Gotti.
“She been hanging round that Memphis nicca too long,” one person said.
Someone went old school saying, “Yo gotti done changed angela. lemme call rev run.”
While an X user wrote, “I know her daddy in that prayer closet.”
Another post just said what many were thinking, “Angela Simmons with the toy gun on a red carpet is cringe.”
As a result of the controversy sparked by her troubling fashion choice, Angela Simmons disabled her comments section on Instagram and responded via a video in her Instagram Stories.
” I see a lot of conversation around the bag, the purse I wore to the awards. Normally, I don’t address rumors and stuff, but I’m not like that; never been like that. I’m not violent,” Simmons began. “I’ve obviously been through a lot in my personal life when it comes to gun violence, and it’s very personal to me, but I just liked the bag, and I thought it was cool, and I thought it was a fashion moment. That was it. I didn’t have any intentions of ruffling anyone’s feathers. It seems like a couple of people are a little upset. I don’t mean no harm.”
She ended her video by saying, “I’m super, super peaceful. I’m sorry if it bothered anyone, but that’s not me. That’s not how I [am].”
“Glock clutch is insane. I can’t defend this one . Usually i take up for u,” a fan commented.
Another fan shared, “I’m from Memphis, and your boyfriend’s brother, your child’s father, and COUNTLESS others have been gunned down, and you sending this type of ‘fashion’ message is not helping the narrative! You look like you know the gun is a bad idea – awful!”
Prior to dating Yo Gotti, Angela Simmons and Sutton Tennyson were once engaged. Their relationship was chronicled in the media spotlight. Their son, Sutton Joseph, was born in September 2016 before Simmons called off the engagement in late 2017.
Tennyson met a tragic fate in November 2018 when he was fatally shot 13 times in his garage in a dispute with an acquaintance.
The aftermath of Tennyson’s tragic death left Simmons navigating the challenges of single parenthood and coping with the loss of her former partner. A few years later, Simmons and Yo Gotti confirmed their relationship on New Year’s Eve 2022, seven years after Yo Gotti confessed his crush on Simmons in his 2015 hit song, “Down in the DM.”
