Rihanna Accuses Snapchat of Shaming Domestic Violence Victims With Ad: ‘You Let Us Down’
Snapchat is currently in a PR nightmare following a “Would You Rather?” game ad that appeared to be making fun of domestic violence. The now-deleted ad featured photos of Rihanna and Chris Brown and asked users if they would "rather slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown."
For those who don’t know, Brown pleaded guilty in June 2009 for viciously assaulting the R&B singer hours before the 51st Grammy Awards in 2008. Although they later reconciled, the incident is hardly a laughing matter.
On Thursday (March 15), Rihanna blasted the video-sharing company for the ad in a post on her very own Snapchat account. The pop star criticized the company for making light of domestic violence. She wrote:
Snapchat has since apologized for the ad, which was only shown to U.S. users. In a statement the company said, "The advert was reviewed and approved in error, as it violates our advertising guidelines. We immediately removed the ad last weekend, once we became aware. We are sorry that this happened."
For some, including rapper Joe Budden, they took Rihanna's remarks as a call to delete their Snapchat accounts. One person has reported that since RiRi's statement, Snapchat stocks have dipped.
Peep some of the reactions below. Are you deleting your Snapchat account?
20 Best R&B Albums of 1997