Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance’s 16-year-old son, Slater Vance, apologized after receiving backlash and criticism for a viral video telling his parents that actor Michael B. Jordan had died. The controversial viral TikTok trend is known for tricking unassuming parents into thinking that their favorite celebrity has died. In the 27-second TikTok video, actress Angela Bassett and her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance are in a room with their son, who is asking his parents if they had heard about the death of actor Michael B. Jordan, Bassett’s co-star in Black Panther.
Within the video, you can see Bassett visibly shaken when hearing that her colleague might’ve passed away, murmuring and gasping, “Uh-uh, uh-uh,” before grabbing the phone as Vance is heard in the background saying, “Stop it, you playing.” You can see their son faintly grinning before the video turns off. The practical joke was in poor taste, given Bassett had already lost a close coworker and friend, Chadwick Boseman.
Vance shared the following statement, “I would sincerely like to apologize to Michael B. Jordan’s entire family, his extended family, and him directly as he is an idol of mine,” Slater Vance said in a video apology on his Instagram account. “Taking part in a trend like this is completely disrespectful. I don’t wish any bad ramifications of this of my actions upon his family nor my parents as they deserve none of the backlash,” Vance said.
Vance took the opportunity to forewarn other social media users and potential trend participants with his apology. “I hope this can be a teaching lesson to anyone out there who also uses social media as a tool and a source of entertainment to truly understand that your actions can have consequences that extend beyond you,” he said. “I apologize for any hurt my actions may have caused Mr. Jordan, my parents, or anyone else who could have been involved in this. And I am truly, truly, and sincerely sorry.”
Bassett, Vance, and Jordan have not publicly commented on the videos.