Normani is missing the 2024 BET Awards, where she was planning to perform Sunday night (June 30).

About a half hour before this year’s BET Awards were set to begin, the Dopamine artist shared an update regarding her appearance at the show via an Instagram Story.

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In a message to fans, Normani revealed she’d been hard at work preparing a performance for the event, but has been sidelined due to “a really bad accident while in rehearsals.”

“I am devastated and hate feeling like a disappointment,” wrote Normani, whose performance seems to have been teased in a BET Awards ad spotted earlier this weekend.

“Unfortunately due to my doctor’s orders, I am just not able to make this performance happen,” she said Sunday night, explaining that going forward with the performance “would delay my healing.” Following this message she posted a snapshot of herself on crutches, with her foot/ankle in a walking boot or brace, and her knee wrapped in a bandage.

Billboard reached out to a representative for Normani, who said there’s no comment beyond what’s been shared on Instagram.

Normani’s note ended with an apology for having to bow out of the BET Awards so unexpectedly. “This is definitely NOT how I envisioned this weekend,” she said, “but best believe I will be championing everyone from home tonight.”

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Normani, who was a member of girl group Fifth Harmony, unveiled her long-awaited debut studio album, Dopamine, on June 14 through RCA Records. Ahead of the album’s release, Normani dropped two singles: “1:59,” featuring Gunna, and “Candy Paint.” The set also includes her 2021 hit with Cardi B, “Wild Side.”

Of Dopamine, she told Billboard News, “I’m just grateful that everybody is just really excited still for this album and for this body of work. They’ve waited on me, which I don’t really take for granted.”

Read Normani’s full statement about the BET Awards:

“I am more frustrated and disappointed than anyone believe me. I wanted to get on here and give you guys an update letting you know that while in rehearsals for BET I had a really bad accident and injured myself. I am normally good for powering through under any circumstance but unfortunately due to my doctor’s orders, I am just not able to make this performance happen. I desperately wanted to give you my best on that stage but performing would delay my healing. I have been going through my process and doing my best to make sense of my feelings regarding this. I am devastated and hate feeling like a disappointment to you but I have to focus on recovering at this time. Trust me, I hear you, and I see you. There is nothing more that I wanted to do than perform for you and also, get back to doing what fulfills me most — BEING ON STAGE. Thank you so much for understanding. Sending my love to BET for giving me and all of the other beautiful black women this opportunity. This is definitely NOT how I envisioned this weekend but best believe I will be championing everyone from home tonight. I’m sorrrrrrrry guys and love you so much.”

Usher chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.

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Marsha Ambrosius chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.

Whether you watched it live or did something (anything) else in an effort to preserve your mental health, you probably haven’t been able to ignore the discourse about the CNN presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that took place on Thursday (June 27). It’s saturated culture so much that even BET Awards host Taraji P. Henson got in on the action during the Sunday (June 30) broadcast of the awards show.

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While Biden’s widely panned showing ate up a lot of the post-debate narrative, plenty has also been said about Trump’s numerous outright lies and continued demonization of immigrants during the debate. One of those comments came when he claimed that immigrants coming to America are “taking Black jobs.”

“They’re taking Black jobs now and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people,” Trump said. “They’re taking Black jobs and they’re taking Hispanic jobs and you haven’t seen it yet but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.” Economists from a variety of political backgrounds have said there’s no data to support the claim that immigrants are taking jobs that would have otherwise gone to U.S. citizens.

Opening the BET Awards with a parody reworking of Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-dissing, Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Not Like Us,” Henson changed the lyrics to “it’s about us” and rocked a red hoodie in homage to K.Dot. After that, she took at jab at Trump’s comment about “Black jobs” during her opening monologue.

“[This is] a show packed full of all-stars with Black jobs. Whatever that means,” she added, drily. “But clearly we know there’s a difference – thanks for the info, but we already knew it.”

Later in the show, comedian/actor B. Simone had some fun with Trump’s “Black jobs” comment, asking folks in the audience whether jobs the TSA agent, TV judge and hairstylist were “Black jobs.” (The answers: Yes, yes and yes.)

YG Marley chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.

Megan Thee Stallion kicked off the 2024 BET Awards Sunday night (June 30) with a fiery medley of cuts from her latest album, Megan.

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She hatched from an egg — an ode to her album cover and overarching snake motif — before she set it ablaze with her seething Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 diss track “Hiss.” An army of women then surrounded her during her twerk-filled performance of “Boa.”

“BET, where my girls at? Where my twin at? Where Victoria [Monét] at? Coco [Jones], you look pretty in the front,” she said, gassing up the girls while her enviable knees did what needed to be done on “Where Them Girls At.” And in true Megan fashion, she ended her performance medley with her signature “ahh” tongue move. 

Megan is up for four awards: best collaboration and video of the year with “Bongos” alongside Cardi B, as well as best female hip-hop artist and BET Her with “Hiss.”

The 29-year-old Grammy-winning rapper released her third studio album, Megan, on Friday (June 28) via her independent label Hot Girl Productions following her departure from 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. The 18-track project contains previously released singles “Cobra,” “Hiss” and “Boa,” as well as collaborations with Kyle Richh (“B.A.S.”), Yuki Chiba (“Mamushi”), GloRilla (“Accent”), UGK (“Paper Together”), Monét (“Spin”) and Big K.R.I.T. and Buddah Bless (“Miami Blue”). Megan is currently on 2024 Hot Girl Summer Tour alongside GloRilla.

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Hosted by Taraji P. Henson for the third year, the 2024 BET Awards is held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Derrick Milano chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.

Coco Jones chatted with Billboard’s Carl Lamarre on the red carpet of the 2024 BET Awards.