Michael B. Jordan Addresses Backlash Over Rum Brand's Controversial Name

Michael B. Jordan has let fans and social media users know that their concerns over the controversial name of his rum brand have reached him and his partners.

Jordan took to his Instagram Story Tuesday to address the backlash over the name of his new rum brand, J'Ouvert, which had sparked accusations of cultural appropriation among social media users. He apologized and stressed that they had no intention of hurting anyone with their choice of name.

"I just wanna say on behalf of myself & my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love & respect) & hoped to celebrate & shine a positive light on," he wrote. "Last few days has been a lot of listening. A lot of learning & engaging in countless community conversations."

The "Black Panther" star also made it clear that they are taking action to change the name of the brand.

"We hear you. I hear you & want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize & look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of," Jordan added.

Traditionally, J'ouvert is a festival that celebrates Caribbean culture and is held annually in Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada during Carnival. J'ouvert, an Antillean Creole French term translating to "daybreak," goes back to the 18th century, when people were still enslaved in Trinidad, People noted.

The controversy began after Jordan celebrated the launch of his rum over the weekend, E! News reported. The actor's girlfriend, Lori Harvey, shared photos on Instagram Story from the event, alongside the message, "Congratulations on the launch of your rum baby!!! I'm so proud of you!!!"

A number of social media users then expressed disappointment over the name of Jordan's rum brand.

On Tuesday, Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, shared a post explaining the historical significance of J'Ouvert and called on Jordan to rename his company. The post read, in part, "IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE NAME IT'S WHAT IT REPRESENTS PERTAINING TO ENSLAVEMENT AND FREEDOM."

"I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive— but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper," Minaj wrote on Instagram.

The liquor brand's trademark for the name J'Ouvert, which was filed in September 2020, was also criticized.

A Change.org petition slammed the trademark filing, which read, in part, "The wording 'J'OUVERT' has no meaning in a foreign language." It has since amassed over 12,000 signatures.