CeeLo Green insisted nothing bad had happened to a horse he recently fell from, in a statement he posted to his Instagram account on Friday.
The 47-year-old singer-rapper spoke up after being slammed for the stunt by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who said the situation could have harmed the horse mentally and physically.
On Wednesday, Green attempted to make a grand entrance at a birthday celebration honoring the late rapper Shawty Lo in Atlanta by striding to the venue on a beautiful dark horse.
However, the venue’s floor tiles proved too slippery for the animal, which lost its footing and the musician rolled off onto the floor.
Attempting to downplay the failed spectacle in his post, he wrote, “I felt like it could be fun and funny to make a grand entrance to this beautiful animal for a very special occasion.”
Fighting back: CeeLo Green took to Instagram on Friday after PETA called him out for riding a horse to a birthday party where it fell, causing him to fall; seen in NYC in May 2022
Speaking up: Lisa Lange, PETA’s senior vice president, said in a statement, “It doesn’t take a genius to know that horses don’t belong at a loud, crowded party where slippery floors and flashing lights can upset them.”
Green’s post included a video of a close-up still of his grinning face set to a cheeky soundtrack to America’s 1971 classic.
He added that he was “hanging out with friends and family who all know my sense of humor,” which he said as if showing “#love.”
“We have gone through all the right channels to achieve this with no ill intentions towards the animal,” he continued. “It should have been short and sweet but some malfunctions have happened and it is what it is but know I’m fine and yes the horse is fine too.”
He ended the post by thanking his fans for their “love and concern” but was more focused on reassuring people he was fine rather than focusing on the horse’s plight.
After video of Green falling off a horse went viral earlier this week, PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement, “It doesn’t take a genius to know that horses don’t go to a loud, crowded party where there are slippery floors and flashing lights can upset them.
“If CeeLo hit his head, PETA hopes it gave him some sanity and compassion,” she added.
PETA’s post also notes that the horse fell during the commotion, and another video floating around has a better view of the debacle.
The horse seems to lose control of its hind legs, and as it falls, CeeLo falls to the ground as well.
All are doing well: “We have gone through all the right channels to achieve this with no ill intentions towards the animal,” Green wrote. “It should have been short and sweet but there have been some malfunctions and it is what it is but know I’m fine and yes the horse is fine too.”
Videos from the party showed the artist sitting on the horse at the celebration at The Bank venue and throwing it at the crowd.
However, things quickly take a turn when the horse lost his footing on the slippery tiled floor.
The handlers held on to the four-legged creature for stability and to help CeeLo balance, but that didn’t seem to work as the horse’s legs buckled.
Eventually, the animal’s hind legs gave out, causing CeeLo to fall to the ground.
The mad hitmaker showed he was fine as he stood up very quickly before raising his arms towards the crowd to prove he was fine.
The event was set to celebrate the birthday of Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo, who died in September 2016 in a fiery accident from blunt force head trauma.
The 40-year-old Atlanta rapper was also carrying pain medication and smelling of alcohol at the time of his death, TMZ reported at the time.
Shawty (real name: Carlos Rico Walker) died on September 21, 2016 after his car crashed on a freeway near southwest Atlanta.
The Dey Know singer was thrown from a 2016 Audi when he drove it over a guardrail. It hit two trees, fell over and burst into flames.
Ouch: CeeLo Green tried to ride around town on a horse he loves but it said ‘forget about you’
Fall off: The singer and rapper – born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton – embarrassingly fell off a horse while attempting to make a grand entrance at a birthday celebration honoring the late rapper Shawty Lo on Wednesday in Atlanta
Vibes: The artist could be seen delivering it to the crowd while on horseback at the celebration at The Bank venue
Uh oh: But things quickly take a turn when the horse lost his footing on the slippery tiled floor
Interesting: The handlers held on to the four-legged friend to give him stability and help CeeLo balance, but that doesn’t seem to work as the horse’s legs buckle
Oops: Finally, the animal’s hind legs give out and CeeLo falls to the ground
Gone too soon: The event was set to celebrate the birthday of Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo (pictured in June 2016), who died in September 2016 in a fiery accident from blunt force head trauma
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report found Shawty sustained fatal blunt force head injuries when he was ejected from the vehicle.
Investigators also found on him a prescription bottle labeled Promethazine, which was actually filled with the pain relievers Percocet and Vicodin.
The coroner’s report also said that his body bag gave off a strong smell of alcohol when opened.
The accident happened after Shawty left a strip club. He left 11 children by 10 different mothers.