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| Aretha Franklin's family criticise 'offensive and distasteful' eulogy | Aretha Franklin's family criticise 'offensive and distasteful' eulogy |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The family of Aretha Franklin have called the eulogy given at her funeral “offensive and distasteful,” claiming that the Reverend Jasper Williams Jr “did not properly eulogise her”. | The family of Aretha Franklin have called the eulogy given at her funeral “offensive and distasteful,” claiming that the Reverend Jasper Williams Jr “did not properly eulogise her”. |
| In his 50-minute speech at the Greater Grace Temple, Detroit, on 31 August, Williams appeared to criticise the Black Lives Matter movement. “Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves,” he said. | In his 50-minute speech at the Greater Grace Temple, Detroit, on 31 August, Williams appeared to criticise the Black Lives Matter movement. “Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves,” he said. |
| He also criticised black families: “There are not fathers in the home no more,” he said, adding that a black woman could not raise a black boy to be a man. His comments were perceived by many as being disrespectful towards the late singer, who was a single mother of four boys. | He also criticised black families: “There are not fathers in the home no more,” he said, adding that a black woman could not raise a black boy to be a man. His comments were perceived by many as being disrespectful towards the late singer, who was a single mother of four boys. |
| “We found the comments to be offensive and distasteful,” said Vaughn Franklin, one of the singer’s nephews, in a statement on behalf of the family. “We feel that Rev Jasper Williams Jr used this platform to push his negative agenda, which as a family, we do not agree with.” During the eulogy, members of the congregation were heard saying: “Talk about Aretha.” | “We found the comments to be offensive and distasteful,” said Vaughn Franklin, one of the singer’s nephews, in a statement on behalf of the family. “We feel that Rev Jasper Williams Jr used this platform to push his negative agenda, which as a family, we do not agree with.” During the eulogy, members of the congregation were heard saying: “Talk about Aretha.” |
| Speaking after Williams, the singer Stevie Wonder appeared to address the reverend’s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement. “We need to make love great again because black lives do matter, because all lives do matter,” he said to ensuing applause. | Speaking after Williams, the singer Stevie Wonder appeared to address the reverend’s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement. “We need to make love great again because black lives do matter, because all lives do matter,” he said to ensuing applause. |
| Vaughn Franklin said that his aunt had not asked Williams to provide her eulogy “because dying is a topic that she never discussed with anyone”. They had selected Williams because of his ties with the family, having given the eulogy for Franklin’s father, Reverend CL Franklin, in 1984, and her siblings Erma and Cecil Franklin. | Vaughn Franklin said that his aunt had not asked Williams to provide her eulogy “because dying is a topic that she never discussed with anyone”. They had selected Williams because of his ties with the family, having given the eulogy for Franklin’s father, Reverend CL Franklin, in 1984, and her siblings Erma and Cecil Franklin. |
| Bill Clinton, Smokey Robinson, Ariana Grande, Al Sharpton and Faith Hill were among those to pay tribute to the star, who died from pancreatic cancer age 76 on 16 August. Despite encouragement from her lawyer, Franklin had not drafted a will. The valuation and division of her estate is expected to be a long-winded and public process. | |
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