American gospel artiste Kirk Franklin has offered a public apology to Jamaica for behaviour deemed ‘disrespectful’ to conservative Christians during his April 2024 ‘Fun in the Son’ performance.

A solemn Franklin finally addressed the controversy in a year-in-review YouTube video on Monday (December 30), after eight months of sustained backlash.

Hours after the popular annual Christian concert concluded, Franklin was a hot topic as social media users criticised the ‘Stomp!‘ hitmaker for a ‘less-than-sanctified’ ensemble and overexuberant gyrating on stage.  

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The Grammy-winning entertainer, who is no stranger to Jamaica, contended that he wasn’t aware the way he was dressed to minister would have been seen as “disrespectful,” but he knows now.

In the video, the 54-year-old said: “I’ve spent most of my career dancing and moving around and jumping on stage that I didn’t know that I would ever do anything that would ever offend anyone in any community, but it did. And because it did, I sincerely apologise because I never want to get to a place that I can’t learn, that I can’t learn what I need to do better, what I can do different to make sure that as I grow as a man, grow physically or in any aspect, that I’m always being humble enough and submissive enough to hear people and their concerns about anything being bigger than the message of Jesus.”

In the just over 16-minute video, the gospel artist remarked, “I am aware now that my choice of attire, which as a team we thought was going to be fine being outside in the weather, was going to be something that would not come across as disrespectful.” 

‘Fun in the Son’ is the brainchild of the Jamaica Broilers Group, which is well-known for its commitment to Judeo-Christian values. Franklin’s invitation to the concert coincided with a celebration of Jamaica Broilers brand, Best Dressed Chicken’s 65th anniversary of doing business with “God’s faithfulness.”

In addition to Franklin, the concert featured Toby Mac and several local Christian artists. Jamaica Broilers Group President and CEO Christopher Levy told The Christian Post in an earlier statement that the company had “expected more” from Franklin saying, “when we engage an artiste, it is with a degree of trust that the artist will be aware and sensitive to their audience. We expected more from Mr Franklin.”