Chris Brown has responded to a Texas lawmaker, Rep. Venton Jones, who received criticism for giving him an award over the weekend. 

According to Fox 4, Jones, alongside U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, presented Brown with a state proclamation during his Arlington concert on Saturday, recognizing his contributions to music and entertainment.

Crockett also included Brown and R&B artist Usher in the Congressional Record. The awards have been publicly criticized, with many referencing the singer’s violent past.

Due to the backlash, Jones apologized for sharing the stage with Brown in an Instagram post, writing, “First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the women, the Black women, whom my actions have hurt. In moments like these, I think it’s important to be specific and just as loud with an apology as our original actions were.”

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Jones also removed a photo he shared with Brown and Crockett from the event. He explained that he and Crockett viewed the event as an opportunity to engage with voters ahead of the midterm elections.

His apology came hours after Brown acknowledged and shared his excitement about the award.

Brown later responded to the apology, saying, “Keep that award.”

The artist additionally shared his thoughts on the matter through his Instagram account:

“Funny thing is…yall came to me with this! Not the other way around,” Brown wrote. “I was minding my d*** business. My shows in Dallas were already sold out.

“I ain’t ask to be honored because I knew some s— like this would happen and [Venton Jones] immediately started tap dancing and apologizing because he didn’t wanna lose voters and support.

“I have a great idea. How about y’all leave me the f— alone and let me focus on the fans that spent their money to actually see and support me.”

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In July, Brown pleaded guilty to an incident at a London nightclub where he hit a music producer with a bottle.

In return for pleading guilty to affray, prosecutors dropped charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and having an offensive weapon, specifically a bottle.

In 2013, Brown faced misdemeanor assault charges for hitting a man outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. He was sent to rehab but was later expelled for breaking the rules.

In 2009, Brown was convicted of felony assault against his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, just hours before they were scheduled to perform at the Grammys. Brown later admitted guilt in 2009 for assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

The singer was arrested in 2019 in Paris on suspicion of rape but was released without any charges.

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