Billboard Music Awards’ 4 biggest scandals – star was even sued and accused of kicking fan in the head on live show

THE BILLBOARD Music Awards has endured its fair share of controversy over the 30-plus years the show has been broadcast.

Since its 1990 debut, the Billboard Music Awards has annually recognized the music industry’s most popular songs and musical artists.

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But intertwined within the award show’s long history are the scandals, debacles, blunders, and on-camera mistakes that have sparked controversy among its viewers.

SUED STAR

During the 2013 Billboard Music Awards R&B singer Miguel, 38, accidentally injured two women in the audience during an on-stage stunt gone wrong.

In the closing moments of his performance of the hit song Adorn, Miguel attempted to leap from one part of the stage to another.

While already a risky maneuver, the stakes were heightened by the crowd of cheering fans positioned in the space between the two stages.

The jump proved to be the opposite of a sure thing, as the Sky Walker singer cleared most of the audience members but came just short of the desired destination and landed on the heads of two women watching next to the stage.

Two years after the incident, one of the women, Cindy Tsai, sued the Fearless artist and the MGM Grand Hotel – where the awards show was held – for negligence, as reported by TMZ.

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Cindy alleged that Miguel’s leap injured her and sued the singer and the hotel to help cover both medical bills and lost wages.

The other woman, Khyati Shah, did not file a lawsuit against Miguel but her lawyer did claim that the failed jump may have given her a head injury.

Miguel and Khyati spoke to Billboard about the incident in the moments after the 2013 BBMAs had wrapped with Migul admitting: “I think it’s kind of clear what happened.”

He also added: “But I’m very happy to bring my new friend, Khyati, we just met. Unfortunately, we did not meet under the best circumstances, but I think we’re okay.”

CONTROVERSIAL COMEBACKS

During last year’s show, rapper Travis Scott, 32, and country music singer Morgan Wallen, 30, were both returning from controversy when they took the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

Morgan’s performance of Don’t Think Jesus and Wasted on You was the singer’s first time on an awards show stage since he was caught on-camera using a racial slur.

Shortly after his performance, Virginia-based hip-hop artist Pusha T presented Morgan with the Top Country Artist Award.

After accepting the award, Morgan told viewers: “I want to say, ‘Thank God.’ And thank my fans. I got the best damn fans.”

It had been over a year since the Last Night singer was recorded using the N-word in February 2021.

The backlash from the video caused Morgan’s music to be temporarily dropped from radio stations and his recording contract with Big Loud Label to be suspended.

Morgan chose not to address the incident during his performance or while accepting his award at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the days leading up to the show, its host, Sean “Diddy” Combs, told Billboard that “one of the things I’m doing directly is un-canceling the canceled,” in regards to the ceremony.

He stated: “The mood of the show is about love and forgiveness. As a musical family, none of us are saints; none of us are without things that happen to them in life.

“Travis went through a tragedy; Morgan [used the N-word] while talking to his boy.”

Diddy explained: “People make mistakes. Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected.

“It’s time to forgive. To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life.”

PUBLIC OUTCRY

Some of the award show’s viewers couldn’t get behind Morgan’s performance or Diddy’s attempt to “un-cancel” him.

“Sorry, we don’t support racists, next …” one social media user wrote on X, formally Twitter.

Another person tweeted: “Morgan Wallen is a white man caught on camera slinging the n word around, and yet Diddy thinks it’s worth ‘uncancelling’ him? It’s not about cancel culture. It’s about Morgan Wallen being despicable.”

A third user complained: “Morgan Wallen just accepted the Billboard Award for best male country artist like no one even cares that he throw [sic] around the N-word like it’s no big deal.”

COLD RESPONSE

Travis made his first televised performance during the award show since the Astroworld Festival tragedy — where a crowd surge killed 10 people and injured thousands.

The Antidote rapper was ripped for his performance after he caressed bikini-clad women on stage in front of his then-girlfriend Kylie Jenner, 26, and their daughter Stormi.

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The father-of-two took the stage dressed in an all-white outfit, consisting of a long-sleeved shirt, puffy jacket, and edgy sunglasses.

As he rapped, the musician was seen interacting with dancers and models on the stage.

In one clip re-shared by fans on Reddit, Travis could be seen approaching a dancer who was scantily clad in a white bikini, fur jacket, and icy makeup.

The Astroworld artist then placed his head on her chest, rapping as she rubbed and caressed his head.

Fans were stunned by the performance as they slammed him for the flirtatious interaction in front of Kylie and Stormi.

“Unnecessary lol, especially when your partner and child are in the room,” the first wrote alongside the clip.

“Performance or not that’s more attention he gave her than Kylie the whole night,” a second noted.

A third joked: “He for the STREETS,” while a fourth remarked: “Travis doesn’t even claim Kylie why are you all surprised? Lmao.”

“This is so gross what,” another complained.

“I completely understand that it’s a performance and all. I’m just saying it was unnecessary because it contributed nothing to the performance or the story lol,” a final ranted.

“If it played a significant part in the performance, then fine. It just didn’t need to happen especially if it could potentially make your lady uncomfy. Like it was awkwardly long and made me uncomfortable,” they explained.

ENVELOPE BLUNDER

Two weeks after her big blunder at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, TikToker Addison Rae, 23, opened up about the mistake on her Mama Knows Best podcast that she hosts with her mother, Sheri Easterling.

The influencer presented the Billboard Chart Achievement Award but announced the winner, Harry Styles, 29, before opening the envelope – revealing that she knew in advance.

The Thanksgiving actress explained: “It was a little stressful because I had an outfit change, and then once I did that I went on stage, and then right before, you have to read off of the thing, you know?”

She continued: “And there was like, words there, so it like, I guess it made me question what I was already reading from the paper, so […] I was just overthinking the lines when I was reading them.

“And then it just was like throwing me off like I was like, ‘Oh gosh I don’t even know where I am right now,'” Addison added.

The social media influencer revealed: “Then also there’s like no one in this big theater, so it’s like scary-looking ‘cause there’s no one in it but you’re like talking, and you know the camera’s on you and rolling live.”

“Then on the prompter, it didn’t say like, ‘open envelope,’ it just said, ‘And the award goes to, dot dot dot dot,’ and then it says ‘announce winner’ in like parentheses,” she said.

Addison told her mom: ‘”So I just like announced, like I just said it and I didn’t even think twice about opening the envelope which is obviously the whole point. […] I just wasn’t thinking about it ‘cause I was reading it ‘cause I was nervous.”

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