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Did you hear what happened at the 10th annual BET Awards? While many winners (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna) were absent, along with nominee Justin Bieber (who had tour obligations), host Queen Latifah welcomed Prince, Eminem, Alicia Keys (whose Jay-Z duet, "Empire State of Mind," won best collaboration) and Kanye West -- making his first major TV appearance since hijacking Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at MTV's 2009 VMA's. But today, everyone's debating the Michael Jackson-themed performance by Chris Brown, which ended in tears.
Brown, who infamously pleaded guilty last year to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna, paid tribute to the late King of Pop. Introduced by Jermaine Jackson, the 21-year-old singer danced and sang flawlessly to Jackson's hits "Billie Jean" and "Remember the Time." But when it came time to segue into "Man in the Mirror," Brown was so overcome with emotion, he broke down on stage. One audience member could be seen mouthing "Oh my God" while witnessing the meltdown (during which the singer choked up on lyrics like, "I'm gonna make a change").
Seeing as Brown has been struggling mightily to repair his image ever since his 2009 assault arrest (the damage to his career made far worse at the time by the unforgettable images of Rihanna's beaten face that were leaked to the press), many wonder if his MJ medley was just a melodrama, staged to steer viewers toward sympathy. While crying onstage, was Brown thinking of the late pop idol's death, or his own uncertain future? Tell us what you think in our poll!
Do you think Chris Brown's onstage meltdown was staged, or sincere? Chime in below!
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