This Sanders girl seems upset! On July 1, Deiondra Sanders took to social media to express her disappointment with the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards. While the ceremony honored many artistes, Deiondra’s beau and self-proclaimed R&B king Jacquees was left out of all the nominations. Not just that — the tribute to legendary R&B singer Usher mainly left her feeling frustrated.

Usher won Male R&B/Pop Artist this year, and his albums Coming Home and Good Good were nominated for various categories. The BET Awards also recognized his decades-long career with a lifetime achievement award. However, the tribute medley in his honor seemed to be the source of Deiondra’s discontent.

She vented her confusion on social media, stating, “That didn’t make sense #BETAwards.” She further questioned the choice of performers, asking, “The women sound good but why did they chose all women to honor Usher?” This resonated with many viewers, who felt the tribute lacked diversity. Soon, Deiondra’s final post revealed the root of her disappointment: “They shoulda had my man up there for the usher tribute.”

The tribute to the male R&B singer was indeed quite surprising. It featured a crew of female singers, like Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monet, singing Bad Girl, while Keke Palmer and Tinashe joined the fun. Even CoCo Jones gave a hot performance to Usher’s “There Goes My Baby.” The only male performer was Childish Gambino.

No wonder Deiondra had a question — it did seem a bit odd to have a mostly female tribute for a male singer! Now, it’s not just the diversity that she questions. It stings even more for Deiondra since her partner shares a good bond with Usher. 

Deiondra Sanders takes on the role of Jacquees’ top cheerleader

Jacquees has been a longtime admirer of Usher. Back in his teens, Jacquees even posted covers of Usher’s classics like There Goes My Baby and Dive on his YouTube channel. He would have undoubtedly killed it on the tribute stage! But the respect seems mutual here. Last year, during a concert, Usher spotted Jacquees in the crowd and gave a shout-out: “My brother Jacquees is in the house, ladies and gentlemen!” Thus, the legend himself acknowledged his rising star status. This makes Jacquees’ absence from the tribute puzzling. Now, who is better than Deiondra Sanders to voice this? Being a constant cheerleader for Jacquees, she is the perfect one to air the burning question.

Deiondra regularly promotes Jacquees’ music on her social handles. Just last week, she hyped his upcoming Quemix 5 mixtape with a “You betta” comment, showing her excitement for its release. She has also celebrated Jacquees’ past hits like FEEL IT and Come Thru, expressing her pride in his achievements. Thus, Jacquees’ biggest supporter is not letting the snub go unnoticed.