India Arie vs. the Internet

India Arie and Yung Miami

Yung Miami, a member of City Girls and known for songs like “Act Up” and “Twerk” with Cardi B, had a hit this year with her single “Spend Dat.”

Maybe it’s the simple, catchy lyrics and the references to things people know, like “boostin’,” which means shoplifting. The phrase “Boostin' bitches” even brings to mind Boots Riley's 2026 film, “I Love Boosters,” starring Keke Palmer. The Goyard bag mentioned in the song is a luxury handbag from Maison Goyard. Summer Walker’s 2025 song, “Go Girl,” with Doja Cat and Latto (with the line “Big Mama, no kids”), also mentions the brand. Goyard is trending right now, which could be part of why “Spend Dat” is so popular.

It all started when Threads user hereswhykevin posted:

This woman stood by and defended a man accused of rape, human trafficking, revenge porn, assault, attempted murder and more. We all watched him beat the shit out of a young woman he groomed since she was 17 years old. She wrote a character witness statement on his behalf. She also doubled down on her statement that if her son were gay she would beat his ass

And what did yall do? Give her a “song of the summer.”

Yall are the reason we’ll never be free.

This thread references Yung Miami’s relationship with Diddy and an old homophobic tweet from Yung Miami that resurfaced.

According to People, Yung Miami and Diddy were romantically linked from 2021 to 2023.

In September 2024, Diddy was indicted on charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transporting people for prostitution. These charges were related to his actions with his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, and another unnamed victim. He was only convicted of two counts of transporting people for prostitution. Before his sentencing in 2025, Yung Miami sent a written character statement to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.

In the letter, she wrote: “For three of those years, I was in a public relationship with Sean, and during that time, I witnessed — and came to know — a different person than the one often portrayed.”

Yung Miami went on to say:

I’ve also witnessed him doing real inner work. He made the choice to check himself into anger management, start therapy, and commit to physical healing through therapy. That takes strength, humility, and self-awareness. He didn’t do it for show — he did it because he wanted to grow and to become a better person.

This letter was sent after Andre Lamon, a Homeland Security Investigations agent, testified that 900 bottles of Astroglide (a lube), 200 bottles of baby oil (also used as lube) and “multiple bags of ketamine” (a drug) were found during a 2024 raid at Diddy’s mansion as part of his criminal trial.

In a March 2026 interview with Charlamagne tha God on “The Breakfast Club,” Yung Miami said, “I’m not gonna justify some bullshit or like, support some bullshit.” She went on to say, “I felt like the person that I met was changed. It was a different experience, so that's why I wrote the letter.”

As for Thread user hereswhykevin's claim that Yung Miami “doubled down” on a statement that she’d beat her son if he were gay, that refers to August 2018, when an old tweet from Yung Miami resurfaced from 2013 stating: “Boy Oh Boy If I Ever See Any Type Of Gay Shit In My Son Imma Beat That Boy So Baddd ❗❗❗.”

In response, she posted a now-removed apology to Instagram:

As of recently there is an older tweet that has been going viral of me speaking on how I prefer that my son be heterosexual rather than being gay. I understand how it can be seen as offensive to the LGBTQ community. I also realize how insensitive my comments were to my fans and followers. I want everyone to understand that I personally didn’t mean any harm by saying those comments about my son’s sexuality. My deepest apologies and heart goes out to those who have seen that tweet and were offended by that. The City Girls appreciate all of their support no matter what their sexuality is.

The comments I made about Haitians, I was wrong and immature to even let my opinion about an individual person be my opinion about an entire culture.

I understand that my comments were insensitive and have offended communities of people that I love.

I love all my City Boys and City Girls PERIOD

Sincerely, Yung Miami

Along with the caption:

To everyone I may have offended I apologize. We are all one we are all equal I LOVE EVERYBODY ❤️❤️❤️ Let’s move on I’m older & wiser now let’s focus on the future and leave the past behind us! Thank you 💗

But in November of that year, she went on “The Breakfast Club” and seemed to walk back her apology.

When Charlamagne tha God brought up the tweet, Yung Miami replied, “I didn’t tweet nothing about them. I was just talking about my son. I just said that if I saw anything gay in my son, that I would beat him.” She clarified she would not actually beat her son, comparing it to “when your mama tells you, ‘If you break my table I’m gonna beat the shit out of you.’” She continued, “That don’t mean she gonna beat the shit out of you; she’s just saying it.”

She reiterated she has “nothing against gay people,” but said that as “being a mother,” she would not want her son dating the same sex.

Yet in a round of “smash or pass” on “The Jason Lee Show” in 2023, Yung Miami said she would “smash all day and tomorrow” fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion. She went on to say that she has slept with women and is bisexual, but would not be in a relationship with one.

That came after Megan Thee Stallion tweeted in 2021, “I was too shy to tell her in person but @YungMiami305 I wanna date 💁🏽‍♀️.” In a quote tweet, Yung Miami replied, “👀 I been wanted you too, so what’s up?” Later that year, the two were seen allegedly making out at a BET Awards after-party.

In 2024, Yung Miami attended the GLAAD Honors in New York City, an event recognizing GLAAD Media Awards’ Black nominees. She then announced Caresha Please’s Pride collection, “The Gays,” with a portion of the proceeds going to GLAAD.

India Arie seemed to share a similar sentiment, replying to hereswhykevin:

I finally realized that not EVERYBODY wants to get free. And it was a very, very, very rude awakening. smh. because the mass acceptance of this song is a crystal clear sign of this much bigger truth.

Naturally, social media reacted to Arie’s comment.

davidaye_ posted to Threads:

Indie Arie PLEASE…

We know the song childish, we don’t care. She ain’t an AVERAGE girl from the video that’s ready for LOVE… & he ain’t The Truth… he’s a scammer 😂 fawwwwk it… 🤷🏾

nah SPIN NAT SHAT‼️🥏

India Arie replied to the thread with two screenshots of an Instagram post, along with:

Look, lol if y’all gonna drag 😂😂😂 at least be mad about what I said, and not with somebody else told you I said. I DID NOT CALL FOR A BOYCOTT. that was someone else lol this is ABSURD 😂😂😂😂😂 I would really be sad if I expected anything better from y’all LOL geez

So where did the boycott rumor start? It likely came from Arie’s reply to a Threads post by mrs.mj.tedla:

I’m calling for a boycott of Yung Miami’s song “Spend Dat.”

I believe it’s degrading to our culture.

At some point, we have to take seriously the power music has over our perception and the values it reinforces.

This can’t be the song of the summer.

Arie replied:

I spent my entire adult life, caring way too much. Becausw I finally learned that not everybody Cares ( with a capital C) And explaining it to them is not gonna make them care. Everything you listen to see or eat is going to influence you. So make wise choices y’all. 🩵