Rapper T.I. has apologized to his daughters following the tragic death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, who were among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday.
The No Mediocre rapper shared photos on Instagram of Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, on Monday.
“Life’s too short man. Love hard on your children & family & live everyday like your last,” T.I. wrote.
In another post, T.I. wrote: “As a father I can’t even imagine… May their spirits rest comfortably in the afterlife as their legend of love (for basketball&each other) live on forever.”
He followed up those messages with many posts dedicated to his own family.
The Live Your Life rapper asked his 18-year-old daughter, Deyjah Harris, and stepdaughter, Zonnique Pullins, for forgiveness for “any and all imperfections that cause misunderstandings between us.”
“I love you girls more than my vocabulary will allow me to express. You have grown so much right before my very eyes & blossomed into strong, brilliantly opinionated, independent young women. I’m so proud of you both and I love you to no end, more than you’ll ever know,” T.I. wrote.
“Please forgive me for any and all imperfections that cause misunderstandings between us… You see Life may throw us curveballs & deal us some pretty bad hands at times. But rest assured, you’ll NEVER find yourself in a place too high or low for me to be there to catch you when you fall.
“I just can’t let another second go by without letting you know while we’re still here in this life together. You have ALL MY LOVE FOR ALL MY LIFE… &AFTER!!”
The father of six made headlines last November when he made comments about Deyjah’s virginity.
He spoke on the Ladies Like Us podcast about making annual gynecologist appointments to check the status of his daughter’s virginity.
During an episode of Red Table Talk, T.I. addressed the comments after receiving backlash about his remarks, with many dubbing it “hymen-gate.”
“I think all of this surrounds a conversation that I was having in a very joking manner when asked how do I deal with parenting in this day and age,” he said.
“I began to embellish and exaggerate,” he continued. “I think that a lot of people kind of took it extremely literal … I honestly thought people knew me better than that.”
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Host Jada Pinkett Smith asked T.I. if he understood the sensitivity around his comments when he made them and he said he did not, in the moment.
“I understand it now,” he said. “However, my intentions, I think, have been terribly misconstrued and misconceived. I never said I was in any exam room. That is an assumption … It is a falsity. I never said that it was being done in present day.”
The rapper told Smith his daughter didn’t have any objections to the appointments but she was disappointed with his comments on the podcast.
“She did have a problem with me talking about it, however, and I understand that, and I am incredibly apologetic to her for that,” he said. “She understands my intentions and she knows who I am, who I’ve always been.”
T.I. also penned an Instagram post to his wife and sons following Bryant’s death.
“I love you Mrs H. @majorgirl imperfections, misunderstandings and all.. we’ve shared most of the happiest moments of our lives together,” T.I. wrote of his wife Tameka (Tiny) Harris. “I know I’ve had my moments, but… despite all my shortcomings & transgressions the fact remains… You give me a thousand choices & I’d choose you every time.
“I couldn’t imagine living in a world without you…or leaving you and the kids to have to live without me. I’m determined to make you happy by any means necessary… LIKE IT OR NOT!!! To love, cherish, protect, provide, & whatever df else it takes… Forever!!!”
In a post dedicated to his sons, he said he is “so proud of each and every last one of you guys.”
“You each somehow represent different parts of me that you’ve made your own. I’m impressed by your growth & maturity & honoured to lead, guide & direct you as you learn to master your destiny,” the Big Things Poppin’ rapper wrote.
“I love you all more than you know. Want you to always walk through life being absolutely certain of that.”
—With files from Global News’ Arti Patel
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