As supporters continue to mourn the tragic loss of Takeoff, ABC made an infuriating mistake while attempting to honor his legacy. On Tuesday (Dec. 27), the network aired a special titled “The Year: 2022.” The in-memoriam recap featured photos of lives lost, but when it came time to pay respects to the late Migos rapper, his group member Quavo’s photo was used instead.
Fans were not having it. One person tweeted, “Sooo, in the year 2022, you still can’t Google to make sure you have a picture of the correct Black guy? Last time I checked, #Takeoff passed, not Quavo. DO BETTER! @ABCNetwork @ABC.” Another wrote, “I know I didn’t see Quavo instead of Takeoff on ABC… So disrespectful. We don’t all look alike.” Others saw no issue with the company being called out for their shameful mistake: “ABC deserves all the backlash and more. How you gonna use a pic of Quavo instead of Takeoff?”
To add insult to injury, Quavo is also the slain musician’s uncle and was present at the time of his death. As previously reported by REVOLT, the two group members were attending a private event in Houston on Nov. 1 when shots rang out. During the chaos, the 28-year-old Georgia native was fatally struck. Almost immediately, a video of Quavo screaming in grief leaked, showing him leaning over his loved one’s lifeless body and crying out for help. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner publicly announced that the “MotorSport” artist was an innocent bystander at the time of his death. At least two other individuals were wounded, but the hitmaker, known for keeping his personal life away from the spotlight, was the only one killed.
ABC addressed the incident Tuesday but did not make any mention of Takeoff. “We apologize for the unfortunate error in a previous version of ‘The Year: 2022.’ It has been corrected,” they tweeted with a link to the revised program. This did not sit well with many. “This is what happens when you lack diversity in the workplace. Out of touch,” one user said. Another wrote, “Whoever is responsible for using the wrong photo needs to be fired. That is an inexcusable and offensive mistake. It’s nearly 2023, do better.”
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