By Durrant Pate

Given the lingering muttering surrounding fainting at his mother’s funeral last Sunday October 25, the King of the Dancehall, Beenie Man has been forced to respond and set the record straight.

Beenie Man, whose given name is Moses Davis, lost his mother, 63-year-old Lilieth Sewell last month after she suffered a brief bout of illness. Dealing with the death of his mother was obviously very traumatic and emotionally difficult for the veteran dancehall artiste, who fainted at the funeral in St Elizabeth and was said to have been hospitalised.

In a statement posted to his Instagram and Twitter pages Beenie Man wrote:

“With sincere gratitude, there are not enough words to fully express my heartfelt thanks for the sympathy, love and virtual support my fans, friends, coworkers, family and my well-wishers have extended to my family and I during this difficult time. 

“On Sunday, October 25th, I laid my Mom to rest. It was by far and still is the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Leading up to the day of the funeral I was physically involved in every aspect of the planning and execution. 

“I kept telling myself; maybe if I remained active I will be able to function. Unfortunately, when it came down that very last moment, it hit me and it hit very hard. This would be the last time I would see my mom. Despite the noise, the singing, the mourning, all I could hear was silence while watching my mom’s body being lowered into the tomb. 

“My heart broke and I blacked out for a few minutes. When I revived, I saw my closest friends and my family around me. Unfortunately, that very intimate and sad moment was recorded and then circulated around the world with false statements. I was not hospitalized.

“I was comforted by my friends and family. Please continue to pray for us as we heal and move forward.

“Love, light, and respect.”

In a 30-second long video of the funeral, which was uploaded on social media, Beenie Man was seen looking overcome with grief and eventually was unable to stand on his own. The entertainer collapsed, sending the crowd at the graveside into a frenzy, with four men having to lift him away from the site.

The exit of the entertainer, in such a dramatic fashion, was heart-wrenching for the already distressed mourners, who came out in all white to help bid farewell to his departed mother.