Ray J’s Wife Gives Middle Finger to MTV Cameras After Kim Kardashian Sex Tape Joke

Ray J’s wife, Princess Love, was not happy at this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, where host Zachary Levi made a joke in his opening monologue about the R&B singer and Kim Kardashian‘s sex tape.

After sharing a compliment with Sandra Bullock, Levi called attention to Ray J, whom he referred to as “America’s other sweetheart,” giving a shoutout to his reality show, Love & Hip Hop.

Ray J and Princess were shown sitting and smiling in the audience before cameras cut back to Levi, who joked, “Although I’m sure some of you are more familiar with his work as a cameraman.”

The quip, which referenced the star’s infamous 2007 sex tape with Kardashian, was met with a round of shocked “ohs” from the audience, but Princess had a slightly stronger reaction: immediately flipping off the awards show cameras with both hands.

“I had to, I’m sorry,” Levi said before admitting that the joke may have worked better in the writers room than in real life, adding, “It was collectively a great idea.”

On social media, MTV Movie & TV Awards viewers couldn’t decide how they felt about the diss. Reactions ranged from those who felt the joke was in poor taste, to those who felt the entire interaction was painfully awkward, to those who loved the drama and comedy of it all.

Ray J and Kardashian dated for three years, from 2003 to 2006. The sex tape was filmed in 2004 but leaked a year after their split. Ray J tied and Princess Love married in August 2016, plenty of enough time after the Kardashian tape to make the argument that she doesn’t deserve to be at the butt of the joke. Ray J and Princess Love welcomed their first child together, Melody Love Norwood, in May 2018.

Kardashian, 38, has spoken out on multiple occasions about the clip since its release. In a November 2018 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she told her sister Kendall Jenner that she was high on ecstasy during it.

“Absolutely. Everyone knows it. My jaw was shaking,” Kardashian said. “I definitely went through a wild phase.”

That same month, Ray J denied claims he would ever speak negatively about Kardashian and their relationship.

“I felt like I needed to come online and shut down all of these false rumors that [are] going on about me and what I said about somebody I’ve been with in the past,” he said in an Instagram clip at the time of his ex. “Let me make this one thing clear: I’m in a great place in my life. I’m happy. I love my wife [Princess Love]. I’ve got a beautiful new baby girl — her name is Melody Love Norwood — and I’ve been trying to be the best parent I can be. I would never say these things after watching my wife go through labor for 28 hours, OK?

He continued: “The person I am now is not who I was in the past. I need y’all to give me a chance to grow and to love and to respect the people I’m with without trying to slander my name, please. God is working, and obviously, the devil is trying to work, too, but it will not happen. I will not let that happen, y’all. I love my wife and I have nothing but respect for everybody out there, past and present. False rumors.”

Photo credit: David Crotty / Contributor / Getty