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After initially praising Louis Farrakhan’s eulogy for rapper DMX, “Shark Tank” star Daymond John deleted the tweet and referenced his Jewish stepfather in a subsequent post.
By United with Israel Staff
This weekend, entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” panelist Daymond John praised Louis Farrakhan’s speech at the funeral of rapper DMX, who died earlier this month.
On Twitter, John expressed admiration for the Nation of Islam hate-preacher’s “deep understanding of the Bible and respect for other people’s religions,” which he called “truly inspiring.”
As of Sunday night, John removed the comments from social media after being blasted for supporting a divisive figure who has promoted Jew-hatred for decades, The Algemeiner reported.
John released the following statement in reaction to the criticism over Farrakhan: “In regards to my tweet regarding DMX’s funeral, my comments on Minister Farrakhan were only related to what I just witnessed tonight, unbeknownst to his prior stances.”
His tweet continued, “As someone who was fortunate enough to have a step dad of the Jewish faith, I do not condone and never would condone any anti-Semitic prejudice or any remarks of hatred.”
“The prior tweet will be removed to avoid further pain and confusion to anyone who has felt hurt in the past by any negative comments of his,” John added.
Meanwhile, Jewish groups slammed Farrakhan’s appearance at DMX’s funeral.
Farrakhan’s 18-minute eulogy was broadcast on webcam to a small gathering for DMX that was called a “Homegoing Celebration” and held at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. BET, which enjoys three million subscribers on YouTube, live streamed the proceedings.
“In his speech, Farrakhan called DMX — whose real name is Earl Simmons — a prophet from God, spoke about his global influence and addressed the rapper’s 15 children, saying, ‘Your father is not gone. He’s absent, but you can bring him back,'” The Algemeiner reported.
In the past, Farrakhan outraged Christians with his offensive comments about Jesus.
Speaking at an annual gathering of his followers called “Saviours’ Day” in 2019, Farrakhan said, “God never sent Jesus to die for this world. Jesus died because he was 2,000 years too soon to bring about the end of the civilization of the Jews. He never was on a cross, there was no Calvary for that Jesus.”
According to Farrakhan, “The real story is . . . [i]t didn’t happen back there. It’s happening right while you’re alive looking at it. I represent the Messiah. I represent the Jesus and I am that Jesus. If I am not, take my life.”
Farrakhan has faced criticism for decades over his unabashed anti-Semitism.
“While we would not normally comment on those chosen to deliver such remarks, it must be acknowledged that Farrakhan is an unrepentant demagogue, responsible for some of the most vile and open expressions of anti-Semitism, homophobia and bigotry,” B’nai B’rith International commented to The Algemeiner. “Particularly at a time such as this, we must all remember that tolerating any form of hate is a danger to all communities. Farrakhan must never be legitimized by those in positions of influence in our society.”
In addition to being a Holocaust denier, Farrakhan consistently blames Jews for the world’s ills, referencing the “synagogue of Satan.”
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