Mary J. Blige Breaks Silence on Infamous Burger King Ad: ‘It Was Set Up’

American music icon Mary J. Blige has revisited the controversial Burger King advert that sparked backlash over a decade ago, insisting the situation was mishandled and “set up” in a way that led to public criticism.

Speaking in an interview with online creator Scott Evans, Blige addressed the 2011 campaign that featured her singing modified lyrics about Burger King menu items over the beat of her song Don’t Mind.

The advertisement quickly drew widespread attention and criticism, with many viewers arguing that it reinforced racial stereotypes. The commercial was eventually pulled after backlash intensified online.

At the time, Blige said she had agreed to participate in a creative concept that was meant to be a dream sequence, but claimed the final version that aired did not reflect what she had approved. Burger King later issued a public apology, saying the ad had been broadcast before final approval was completed.

More than ten years later, Blige says she still stands by her reaction and does not find the situation humorous.

“I would never laugh at that,” she said, adding that her fans were hurt by what was shown and that the execution of the campaign was “wrong” from the start.

She further explained that she believes the rollout was structured in a way that guaranteed negative public reaction once it aired, describing it as a learning experience about how the industry operates.

Burger King previously stated that a corrected version was intended but never released publicly after the original advert was withdrawn.

Blige reflected on the experience as a difficult but important lesson, saying it taught her to better understand how media and commercial projects are handled behind the scenes.