Usher's expletive-filled BET Awards speech was mostly muted and fans were perplexed

Usher received a lifetime achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday. His acceptance speech was filled with so many expletives that the network muted nearly all of it, leaving fans perplexed.

BET is known for doing a TERRIBLE job of managing language at its awards shows. The censor for bad words is either never there or VERY late. Sunday’s BET Awards show was no different. The network must have missed what felt like hundreds of colorful expressions all night long.

So, when Usher got up to rattle off his acceptance speech (Warning: NSFW language) for his lifetime achievement award, BET suddenly decided to get its life together and mute words — only it muted so much of the speech that fans at home couldn’t hear it.

#BETAwards Two years in a row but this time during the legendary Usher’s speech. Whoever is in charge of sound -never again. This was a cultural moment and we missed 99% of it. We catching him at the end of his speech. https://t.co/nwP7eIWaLH pic.twitter.com/ltMp5VYW2E

— (@Missssssbeeee) July 1, 2024

#BET count y’all days!!!
This man is accepting his lifetime achievement award, and y’all got him muted !!!!!!! #BETAwards #usher pic.twitter.com/as1qs5ZNQv

— Khordelle (@khordelle) July 1, 2024

People watching the show were so befuddled and irritated that they took to social media to complain. Here’s what they said:

Did BET just …… mute Usher ?! #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/BYKAsYVzgZ

— T (@_TheSweetTEA) July 1, 2024

The person censoring Usher’s speech: #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/PaqtdhkjPH

— patweetme (@patweet_me) July 1, 2024

BET’s PR team working to explain why most if not all of Usher’s acceptance speech was muted… #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/XRKx3XKnlt

— Michael Lyle, Jr. (@LyleMultimedia) July 1, 2024

Who is in charge of the censor button??? Y'all had so many other people to mute tonight, but you chose to mute @usher. #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/2nkPuURZVQ

— Carolita Maria Leticia Garcia (@mylyfesongz) July 1, 2024

So we waited the whole night to see Usher receive his flowers, only for y’all to mute the entire speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/4qYKMLYHC1

— Why is he around? (@theonenamedjas) July 1, 2024

Why yall mute Usher??! What he saying????? #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/6VXaIbsHrU

— Ken. (@OmgKenActually) July 1, 2024

The censor person in the back said eff it and put Usher speech on mute #BETAwards #CulturesBiggestNight pic.twitter.com/Mq8krQkHl5

— LENA (@_sdm26) July 1, 2024

Me trying to read usher’s lips when they censored his speech #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/KrQjRfCcFl

— Toney! Toni! Toné! (@the_notorious_) July 1, 2024