Eric Benét Recalls Joe Jackson Repeating Halle Berry's Name Behind Him at an Awards Show

Legendary singer Eric Benét shared an epic tale of senior shade that he dealt with regarding Michael Jackson ’s late father, Joe Jackson.

In a video posted to his official TikTok account labeled “TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORIES,” Benét recounted a story about sitting in front of Jackson at an award show and being taunted by him repeatedly saying Halle Berry ’s name in his ear.

Normally, that’s a nice name that rolls off the tongue quite well. But at the time, Benét was divorced from Berry.

“The first thing I thought was, it’s pronounced ‘Halle’ not Holly,’” said Benét. “Next thing I thought was what the actual F is happening right now?”

For the life of him, Benét couldn’t imagine why Jackson would do that. “Does he think he’s being witty? Is he trying to introduce himself to me?” pondered Benét. “Is that the ice breaker? Is he bonding with me on some suspected Hollywood villain type shit?”

To diffuse the weird situation, Benét nervously laughed it off, thinking it was over. But it wasn’t.

“Two minutes later, I feel that heat on the back of my neck and smell that old man cologne,” Benét added before explaining the realization that he’d come to. “So now I realize he’s testing you. Is Eric Benet a punk? Can I do this to him all night and he won’t do nothing?”

In the heat of the moment, Benét pondered whether he would actually get into a fight with Jackson. “Am I about to get into an altercation with the man who whooped little Michael Jackson’s ass? Is that what’s about to happen right here on this awards show?” he said.

Luckily, that didn’t happen. Benét politely told him to stop — and that was the end of that.

The shade that Benét experienced from Jackson feels spiritually similar to the shade that iLoveMakonnen experienced from Drake nearly a decade ago — and it just so happens that it involved an Benét comparison .

In a recent interview with NPR Music, iLoveMakonnen explained how he knew his relationship with Drake had changed — ultimately leading to their falling out. He revealed that things got weird at the 2015 Wireless festival. “That’s when I knew something was weird,” said iLoveMakonnen. “Just ’cause when I came out on set…and I started losing weight too, right—Drake had made a little joke like, ‘He a little Eric Benét-ass looking nigga.’ You know, like, ha-ha. And then I just started to feel this vibe.”

Related