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Russell Simmons Thanks Those Who Defended Kobe Bryant Following Gayle King Interview

Gayle King’s interview with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie resulted in a variety emotions for countless people. Some were angry the veteran journalist had the nerve to bring up Kobe Bryant’s 2003 sexual assault case considering the NBA superstar had just died, while others felt King was completely justified and fair in her questioning.

Snoop Dogg, however, wasn’t one them. He condemned both King and Oprah Winfrey, who has been under scrutiny for her connection to a documentary about one Russell Simmons’ sexual assault accusers. And he wasn’t alone. 50 Cent also questioned King’s motives, saying, “I don’t understand what the goal is.”

On Monday (February 9), the Def Jam Recordings co-founder thanked those who stood up for Bryant.

“A very sincere THANK YOU for ALL those who spoke up to defend our brother,” he wrote alongside a clip himself with the former L.A. Laker. “Let’s not allow any more negativity into our bubble love. This man represented the very best we have to fer. He was a tremendous athlete and a flourishing artist, producer and business man.

“He exuded happiness and was full compassion. Most importantly, he was a loving family man, and a ROLE MODEL for black men all over the world. God bless the legacy @kobebryant. Prayers for the Bryant family and all those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.”

Controversy ensued when CBS This Morning aired a clip King’s recent interview with Leslie in which King asked the seasoned athlete if Bryant’s sexual assault case makes his legacy “complicated” for her.

“It’s not complicated for me,” Leslie said. She later added. “I don’t think it’s something that we should keep hanging over his legacy.”

King was livid and insisted CBS essentially threw her under the bus.

“I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” King said. “I am mortified. I am embarrassed and I am very angry. Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview — totally taken out context — and when you see it that way, it’s very jarring. It’s jarring to me. I didn’t even know anything about it.”

Snoop — who received some strong words from former U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice — has since denied threatening King in any way, shape or form.

“Here’s a message for the people that need to know,” he said. “I’m a non-violent person. When I said what I said, I spoke for the people who felt like Gayle was very disrespectful towards Kobe Bryant and his family. Now with that being said, what’d I look like want some harm to come to a 70-year-old woman? I was raised way better than that.”

He continued, “I didn’t want no harm to come to her, I didn’t threaten her. All I did was say check it out, you out pocket for what you doing and we watching you. Have a little bit more respect for Vanessa, her babies and Kobe Bryant’s legacy.”

Simmons evidently feels similarly.