Actor Omari Hardwick kissed Beyoncé without her consent, and fans are not happy
It’s always uncomfortable when personal boundaries get crossed. And some fans feel that Power actor Omari Hardwick crossed a line when he greeted Beyoncé at the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards. According to Billboard, Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards on March 30th. Both artists received high honors; Beyoncé was named entertainer of the year, while Jay-Z received an award for the work he’s done through the Shawn Carter foundation and the REFORM Alliance. But one moment early in the ceremony left many fans indignant. When Hardwick greeted the couple, he kissed Beyoncé on the cheek once and then again near her mouth.
Bruh….😳🤦🏾♂️😑 “oh no baby, what is you doing” #TeamDL #nope #nah #nottoday #toomuch #omarihardwick #beyonce #jayz pic.twitter.com/AECRiRVslo
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) March 31, 2019
We’re admittedly not sure what Beyoncé was thinking in that moment, or how well she knows Hardwick (if at all). But many social media users noted that the singer looked visibly uncomfortable with the second kiss.
Damn, Beyoncé looked extremely uncomfortable. Omari Hardwick night have just got the new season of power cancelled messing around with the Beyhive. https://t.co/xVhnvCcAxU
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 31, 2019
Boy… Omari Hardwick kissing Beyoncé made ME uncomfortable. I can only imagine how she felt after that second one
— Rossi (@jstrossi) March 31, 2019
Others suggested that kissing Beyoncé was disrespectful no matter what.
.@OmariHardwick HAVE SOME RESPECT! Don’t EVERRRRR pull a move like that again while Mr. Knowles is standing right there. pic.twitter.com/l5jig6tDiR
— hoodrat drew barrymore (@KevinBobby) March 31, 2019
A respectable handshake would have worked just fine from Omari Hardwick.
Women don’t need to be grabbed, hugged and kissed unless its your wife/girlfriend.
Beyonce should have slapped him !https://t.co/MqflX03BYU
— Whorfery (@Whorfery) March 31, 2019
Omari Hardwick. Take notes. pic.twitter.com/FRki7TAfrN
— xnd (@davidsdubai) March 31, 2019
And it wasn’t long before the Beyhive started to leave angry comments on Hardwick’s Instagram. false
The outrage wasn’t limited to this one incident, though. Some pointed out that women often have to deal with this kind of unwanted physical contact, which is never okay. false
Bey’s face+body language, when Omari Hardwick kissed her BOTH times, is all of us when drunk and/or nasty ass daddies, grandaddies, uncles, deacons and pastors do the same thing.
— Candice Marie Benbow (@CandiceBenbow) March 31, 2019
I know what Omari Hardwick did to Beyonce with the kisses may seem trivial to some of you, but that's what literally happens when we greet some of your dads, brothers, boyfriends, colleagues and bosses.
There are boundaries and he encroached… it's disconcerting
— noix de coco (@ontosphileo) March 31, 2019
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/1112380259884851202
Regardless of how Beyoncé felt about this particular incident, women are too often subjected to unwanted hugs, kisses, and touching—in a way that men almost never are. Let’s hope Hardwick—and all men—hear the public response to this situation and use it as a learning moment.
