T.I. addresses controversial comments about daughter's virginity... seven years after heavy backlash: 'That sucked'

Rapper T.I. addressed his controversial comments about his daughter's virginity, seven years after facing heavy backlash. 

Back in 2019, the 45-year-old music artist admitted on the Ladies Like Us podcast that he would accompany his then-teen daughter Deyjah Harris to the gynecologist annually to ensure that she was still a virgin.

The star received heavy criticism over the scandal, which has been referred to as 'hymen-gate.' He also issued an apology to Deyjah, now 25, at the time. 

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., told People of the incident: 'That sucked.'

He additionally told the outlet, 'I've learned not to do as much talking as I do listening.'

When the podcast episode had aired, the rapper and his family had been in the midst of filming their reality show titled T.I. and Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle.

'When the podcast that the interview was on, when it first came out and everything happened, we experienced that as a family in real time, and it just happened to have been recorded.' 

He also explained that when the reality show was released, the star said it 'was taking us back through it again.' 

T.I. further described the series as a 'photo album' for his loved ones. The reality show notably aired from 2018 through 2020 on VH1. 

The Whatever You Like hitmaker is father to seven children. He shares three with wife Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle: King, 21, Major, 18, Heiress, 10. He has also helped raised Tiny's daughter Zonnique, 30, from a previous relationship. 

The music artist shares Deyjah with ex Ranniqua Brannum (Ms. Niko). T.I. is also dad to Messiah, 26, and Domani, 24, whom he welcomed with Lashon Dixon. 

During his conversation with People, the rapper reflected on how he raises his sons, saying 'you have to operate with more faith than fear.'

He later expressed, 'A lot of the times when I'm dealing with them as kids or as young people, I could see myself in them. 

'So it's just interesting having discussions because they raise a lot of the points that I would've raised when I was their age.'

Daily Mail has reached out to a rep for T.I. for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Seven years earlier, T.I. appeared in an episode of the Ladies Like Us podcast where he stated that he takes his daughter to the gynecologist yearly to check she was still a virgin. 

At the time, he had said, 'Deyjah's 18, just graduated high school now and she's attending her first year of college, figuring it out for herself.

'And yes, not only have we had the conversation [about sex], we have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen.'

T.I. had also added that 'as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact.' 

He also came to the defense of his own actions during the podcast discussion and expressed, 'I think that most kids in hindsight, looking back, they always thank their parents for not allowing them to damage themselves as much as they could have.' 

The performer faced heavy backlash and criticism on the internet, and Deyjah notably unfollowed her father on social media. 

Hosts Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham of the Ladies Like Us podcast took down the episode and also issued a statement at the time. 

The pair said they 'were completely caught off guard/shocked and looking back, we should have reacted much differently in the moment.'

They added that the rapper's comments 'are not in any way a reflection of our personal views on the topic. We support and love Women and feel that their bodies are theirs to do as they wish.' 

Mandi and Moham said they feel 'deeply awful about the entire incident' and 'take full accountability of our lack of action & are continuously learning along the way. 

'We know an apology doesn't make this go away but we welcome the discussion- that's what our podcast is about.'

Later in 2019, T.I. and his wife Tiny appeared on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk series. 

'I came to clear up any misconceptions that have been surrounding how we interact and parent and what is appropriate and inappropriate,' the music artist said, while adding that the comments were made 'in a very joking manner.' 

The star explained, 'I just began to - from a place of truth - I began to embellish and exaggerate. And I think a lot of people kind of took it extremely literal. 

'Because if you put any of my reputation, like who I am as a father, who I've been. I honestly thought people knew me better than that.' 

T.I. clarified that he had never been inside the exam room and added that he 'never said that it was being done present day as an 18-year-old.' 

His wife chimed in to say that Deyjah had been around 15 or 16 at the time. She also explained that he never made the appointments himself. 

T.I. stated that Deyjah was never upset about the appointments, but had a 'problem' with him talking about it publicly. 

'And I understand that. And I am incredibly apologetic to her for that. To her. Not to any of these other strangers, any of these weirdos that just kind of toss lies around for fun.' 

Tiny also added, 'I definitely understood why she would feel like, it was personal to her. Deyjah's a quiet child. She doesn't talk a lot.' 

T.I. had explained he was trying to protect his daughter, while Pinkett Smith said that some people had issues with him attempting to control his daughter's virginity. 

'The word control is very... in order to guide or direct, you must have a certain level of control,' he said.

'I think that in the age or the time where black women are the most unprotected, unattended, disregarded women on the planet, I'm being criticized because I'm willing to go above and beyond to protect mine.' 

He added, 'And I'm talking about all of the little slimy, grimy, chubby-finger little boys who want to come and defile and destroy the sanctity that I have...' 

After a brief pause, T.I. continued, 'If I'm going to the doctor with you just for the sake of controlling you, then okay. But if I'm going for the purpose of being a protective parent...' 

He emphasized since his daughter was 18 at the time, he does not 'have control of anything.' 

Later in 2020, Deyjah emotionally revealed that her father's comments had left her feeling 'angry, hurt' and 'embarrassed' during an episode of the family's reality show. 

'I'm scrolling on Twitter, and I see that I've been tagged in a post. The only word that I saw was "gynecologist,"' she recalled. 

'And I didn't even need to read the whole title 'cause I just knew. My heart sank - very shocked, hurt, angry, embarrassed.' 

She had also expressed that she was 'trying to push it in the back of my mind, so I'm really not thinking about it... 

'I know it's not healthy. But I've been doing that since I was a child.' 

Deyjah also shared, 'I do think my dad treats me differently than the boys when it comes to the subject of sex and supervision. 

'My dad even jokes with King about becoming a baby daddy. He would never joke like that with me.'

T.I. is currently in the midst of The King Succession Tour which also features his sons Domani and King. 

The concerts officially kicked off earlier this month and he is set to make stops in cities such as Brooklyn, Detroit and Chicago. The final date is slated for August 15 in San Francisco.