‘Love & Hip-Hop’ Star Accused of Attacking Disney Animal Kingdom Employee Over COVID-19 Joke

Getty

Spectacular Blue Smith, a star of Love & Hip-Hop Miami and Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood, was arrested on December 1 after allegedly hitting a Disney employee in Orlando, Florida.

Smith, 34, is best known for his time with the Florida-based collective Pretty Ricky, known for their songs “Grind with me” and “Your body.”

In addition to his music career, Smith founded a company named Adwizar in 2014. Adwizar manages the Facebook pages of many mainstream rappers. Smith is also the founder of the Spectacular Academy, an organization that teaches people the importance of starting their own businesses.

Smith Was Held on a Misdemeanor Battery Charge

Smith, 35, was taken into custody by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and held on a misdemeanor battery charge. Smith was later released on a $500 bail, online records show. Those records show that Smith must return to Orlando for a court hearing in January 2020.

The arrest report says that Smith was standing in line with his son for a ride at the Animal Kingdom theme park when he pretended to sneeze and said, “Coronavirus.” The report says that the victim told Smith the joke was not funny to which the Pretty Ricky responded by saying, “I thought it was.” At the time of writing, more than 273,000 people in the United States have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Disney Employee Allegedly Told Smith: ‘You’ll Think it’s Hilarious if I Asked You to Step Out of the Line’

The park employee asked Smith to get out of line by saying, “Then you’ll think it’s hilarious if I asked you to step out of the line.” When Smith refused that’s when things got physical, police say. Smith is accused of punching the man twice, once in the temple and once in the jaw. The Disney employee was treated for a concussion after receiving a CT scan at Orlando Health-Horizon West hospital in Winter Garden, just north of Orlando, reports People Magazine.

TMZ reports that Smith’s son told officers that his father only struck the Disney employee by accident after he lost his balance. TMZ quoted Smith’s son as saying his father “lost his balance falling to the ground” and hit the employee as he was trying to grab something.

Smith’s Fiancee Jamee DeSouza Says that the Incident Was Racially Motivated

Instagram/Jamee DesouzaSmith’s fiancee Jamee Desouza pictured on her Instagram page.

Smith has two children, Makhiari, 15, with ex-girlfriend Sharita, and Spectacular Blue Smith Jr., 6, with fiancée Jamee DeSouza. DeSouza issued a brief statement on her Instagram story about the incident calling the media stories “one-sided.” DeSouza also said that the Disney employee struck Smith first. She said that Smith would never strike anybody who did not first strike him. Desouza says that she was there and that Smith was having a conversation with his son about coronavirus and was not joking.

Desouza says that Smith was entitled to defend himself under Florida’s stand your ground law. She added her belief that Smith’s civil rights were violated and the incident was racially motivated.

Smith Accused the Media of ‘Putting Out a One-Sided Story on the Incident’

GettySpectacular Smith attends BE WOKE. VOTE GEN-Z Vote Drive-Up Voter Registration Event on September 19, 2020 in Compton, California.

Smith responded to the battery allegations on his Instagram story. Smith accused the media of putting “out a one-sided story even without facts because they enjoy demonizing our culture and bringing us down.” Smith also said that “The more success you have as a Black man the bigger target you are.” Smith ended his statement by saying, “Y’all know my character.”

READ NEXT: ‘Love & Hip-Hop’ Star Offers Access to Her OnlyFans Page for Free