DaBaby seems to be trying to make amends.
According to Variety, the rapper recently met with nine American HIV-awareness organizations “to discuss HIV facts and share personal stories of living and thriving with HIV” after his controversial statements about HIV/AIDS.
The organizations had called for the meeting in an open letter issued August 4.
“The open letter to DaBaby was our way to extend him the same grace each of us would hope for. Our goal was to ‘call him in instead of calling him out.’ We believed that if he connected with Black leaders living with HIV that a space for community building and healing could be created. We are encouraged he swiftly answered our call and joined us in a meaningful dialogue and a thoughtful, educational meeting,” the organizations said in a statement after the meeting.
“During our meeting, DaBaby was genuinely engaged, apologized for the inaccurate and hurtful comments he made about people living with HIV, and received our personal stories and the truth about HIV and its impact on Black and LGBTQ communities with deep respect,” the statement continued. “We appreciate that he openly and eagerly participated in this forum of Black people living with HIV, which provided him an opportunity to learn and to receive accurate information.”
Marnina Miller of the Southern AIDS Coalition, who participated in the meeting, said in a separate statement: “DaBaby’s willingness to listen, learn, and grow can open the door to an entirely new generation of people to do the same.”
While reps for DaBaby have not yet responded to Variety‘s requests for comment, later the same day, the rapper posted a now-deleted video on Instagram in which he pretended to cry, with the chyron, “Starring DaBaby: Cancelled Ass.”
DaBaby has previously apologized twice for his anti-gay remarks, though he has still been dropped by numerous gigs and companies.
Early last month, he said, “I appreciate the many people who came to me with kindness, who reached out to me privately to offer wisdom, education, and resources. That’s what I needed and it was received.”
The following day, 11 organizations published the open letter with hopes that they could meet with DaBaby to teach him the correct facts so he can then pass it on to his fans.
“At a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of colour, a dialogue is critical. We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities,” part of the letter read via THR.
It added, “We believe you now have an opportunity to not just move past this unfortunate incident, but to use your platform and celebrity to heal not harm.”
After sharing a number of facts, the letter concluded, “You stated you now understand how and why your comments were damaging. An open conversation holds the potential for you to now create meaningful impact by transforming from an adversary to an advocate.”
RELATED: Lollapalooza Drops DaBaby From Lineup Following Homophobic Comments
Miley Cyrus also added her name to those who want to help educate DaBaby.
“It’s easier to cancel someone than to find forgiveness and compassion in ourselves or take the time to change hearts and minds,” Cyrus wrote on Instagram. “There’s no more room for division if we want to keep seeing progress! Knowledge is power! I know I still have so much to learn.”
In the caption, she added, “@DaBaby check your DMS – would love to talk and see how we can learn from each other and help be part of making a more just and understanding future!”
DaBaby first faced backlash during Miami’s Rolling Loud festival in July for his factless statements about HIV/AIDS. He then addressed the comments later on with more uneducated statements. As a result, a number of gatherings including Lollapalooza, the Governors Ball and Day N Vegas dropped him.
