The ‘Martin’ colorism controversy was ‘heavy’ for Ari Lennox: ‘It was heartbreaking’

Ari Lennox addresses the controversy that kicked off in late July after she shared her thoughts on “Martin” and how she coped.

While much of the internet moved on within days after Ari Lennox voiced what she believed were colorism themes in the 1990s sitcom “Martin,” it wasn’t as easy for the singer to put the moment behind her.

During a recent interview on “The Breakfast Club,” the 32-year-old R&B star opened up about the controversy that began in July and how emotionally “heavy” the experience became for her.

“It was heartbreaking,” she admitted. “It was a heavy time for me because I felt like I isolated myself from every Black person in the world.”

In late July, during an interview with Rain the Plug, the “Mobbin’ in DC” singer shared how she interpreted the dynamic between Martin Lawrence’s titular character and Pam, his girlfriend, Gina’s best friend, played by Tichina Arnold. Their relationship, defined by over-the-top jokes steeped in insults, struck Lennox as an example of colorism, noting that Pam was portrayed by a darker-skinned actress.

“The thing that pissed me off about Martin was how much he was goin’ in on Pam,” she said. “There are some things where I draw the line. Pam was so f—ing beautiful and so fine, and I just feel like growing up as a chocolate girl, I don’t even know if I was able to understand the greatness of Pam because of what I was being fed. Always going in on Pam, that’s all I remember.”

Many longtime fans took issue with her comments, while others agreed, as conversations around Pam’s portrayal and the treatment of darker-skinned characters have long been debated. As the online chatter intensified, Lennox doubled down on her perspective, even as the moment began to weigh on her emotionally.

“I was ruminating heavy, but luckily the album pulled me out of the dumps and therapy and things of that nature,” said the singer, who released her latest album, ‘Vacancy,’ in January.

Ultimately, she said the experience helped her accept that not everyone will see things the same way she does, no matter how clear something may feel from her perspective. Despite the backlash, she also recalled feeling support from those who shared her view.

“I feel the love and support, and I felt supported in that, but I think I have this issue where sometimes it’s easier to focus on the negative and how loud it is,” she explained. “And just certain things people said, it’s just like, ‘damn.’”

She added that she also had to remind herself she’s “not lame.”

“I spoke from a space of being a little girl and consuming the show the way I consumed it,” she said.

Not all of the responses she received were harsh, however. Lawrence himself addressed the moment in a way Lennox said she deeply appreciated.

“It meant the world to me because he was so gentle in his response,” she said, referring to how the comedian respectfully disagreed while offering context about the show’s dynamic. “I didn’t expect that. I actually cried.”

During an interview for Fox 5 News, the 60-year-old comedian and actor said, “No, I never had that concern because I knew they were jokes.”

“That’s the way Black people joke. We go hard. And me and Tichina were just having a lot of fun, and we were keeping it real. And I was keeping it real,” he continued. “She has a right to have her own opinion and everything, but there was no malice intent.”

Reflecting further, Lennox added, “He didn’t have to respond so beautifully the way that he did, and I didn’t feel like it was invalidating, but he was also true to himself, and I respect that completely. As a big fan of him, it meant the world to me because he’s a legendary comedian. He could have dragged me to hell along with the world!”

Arnold showed similar grace when she was approached about Lennox’s comments.

“Those jokes were never written from [a place of] malice. It was written [based on] who’s got the best joke,” she said during an appearance on Deon Cole’s “Funny Knowing You”. “Ari, we understand how you feel. It wasn’t meant that. And so maybe Ari, you need to talk to your friends and the people that you were around during that time who made you feel that way… Somebody may have done or said something to you which allowed you to look at things a little differently and not receive them in the spirit that they were given.”