T.I Addresses His Controversial Statement About Monitoring His Daughter’s Virginity

American rapper, T.I has finally come out to address his controversial statement about monitoring the virginity of his 18-year-old daughter, Deyjah Harris.

KanyiDaily had reported that T.I gained public backlash when he revealed that he accompanies his daughter to the gynecologist every year to check if her hymen is still intact and to confirm she’s still a virgin.

The rapper and his wife, Tiny Harris, have now addressed the controversy in an episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s web talk show ‘Red Table Talk’ released on Monday.

During the interview, T.I was quick to defend himself against the backlash, arguing that there was little fault in what he said and what he’s done — and blaming others for overreacting.

Referring to the controversy, T.I. said that it was done ‘in a very joking matter.’

“I just began to — from a place of truth — I began to embellish and exaggerate,’ he says. ‘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.”

When asked if he understands the sensitivity of the subject he was discussing.

T.I. replies that he didn’t understand it at the time, but he does now — but still, he blames the public for misunderstanding him rather than what he said or claims to have done.

“My intentions, I think, have been terribly misconstrued and misconceived,” he added.

“Let me go set this record straight. I never said I was in any exam room. That is an assumption. That is a falsity.

“I never said that it was being done present-day, as an 18-year-old.”

His wife Tiny Harris interjected: “She was 15 and 16 years old at the time.”

TI continued: “And I never said her mother wasn’t present. Her mom was present every time.”

Tiny added: “He didn’t make the doctor’s appointment. There was already an appointment.”

TI said that both his daughter and her mother welcomed his presence at the time.

He also said that Deyjah never minded that her parents both came to the appointments — but ‘she did have a problem’ with her dad 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,” he says.

Tiny adds: “I definitely understood why she would feel like, it was personal to her. Deyjah’s a quiet child. She doesn’t talk a lot.”

When the discussion turned to how Deyjah handled the situation, T.I. said his daughter advised him to “Just let it go.”

He said he then received “different directives” from Deyjah to go “clear up” rumors, so that’s why he agreed to appear on “Red Table Talk.”

Watch the full interview below: