Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

Amber Rose visited Ghana earlier this week and sent messages via Twitter about her experience while there. From speaking to girls at an Islamic school to playing drums with local men, she shared the trip with her fans, but (of course) later received backlash from folks for “making comments that made Africa seem like a village.”

Here’s what she originally Tweeted:

#TeamAmberRose & I went to a Village in Ghana to feed the children today we laughed, cried & the locals made us really cool bracelets it was an amazing experience #GiveBack :-)”

The guys played the drums for me & said they wanted to Welcome me home, naturally I told them I wasn’t from Africa & They said “We r all brothers & sisters everyone comes from Africa Welcome home Amber” #Deep”

I went & spoke 2 young girls at an Islamic school in Ghana today about Girl Power education & not falling into the wrong lifestyle as I did as a young girl. I made a lot of mistakes in my life & they’ve come back to haunt me, but now I have the opportunity 2 talk to girls all over the world & to let them know that they should chose a better way & not follow in my footsteps. These girls are Awesome & it was a true blessing meeting them today they have inspired me! #InspireGirls #GirlPower :-)”

While in Ghana, she was interviewed and asked: “Some people have been putting on Twitter that you made some comments that made Africa seem like a village, are you aware of the backlash?” And she answered:

“People have to understand that this is my first time in Africa. This is not my culture. I have never been here so if I said anything to hurt anyone’s feelings then I am really, really sorry. I saw that a lot of people on twitter said ‘don’t just show the poverty, show the rich people’. But for me, the rich people aren’t doing anything for the little kids and the people that are living in poverty so I don’t want to go hang out with the rich people. I wanted to see the kids in poverty. I grew up very poor. So I wanted to go see them, help them, talk to them and inspire them to let them know they could possibly be somebody great. They can be somebody great. So I want everyone in Ghana to know that I wasn’t just saying that ‘Ghana is a poor country and no one should ever come here.’ Anyone that I have spoken to about Ghana since I have been here, I have been saying that it’s such an amazing place. And I’m sorry for not posting pictures of rich people, but it just wasn’t for me to do.”

I think everyone in the States, they have a perception of Africa that it is all dirt roads, people are extremely poor. What I’ve noticed about Africa, since I’ve been here is, that people are either extremely rich or extremely poor. There is no middle class at all.”

A writer for Ghana Web later slammed her, saying:

“It is absurd enough to bring Amber Rose to Ghana to headline a concert as the only decent credibility this chick carries around is ‘ex-girlfriend of Kanye West’. I therefore expected that she should at least be coached if she is dumb enough not to know that we have middle class Ghanaians. Not only did Amber Rose parade her ignorance as far as the economic strata of Ghanaians/Africans are concerned, she also presented her view as if there are no poor people in America where she comes from. There are people out there in America living in far disgusting conditions than those she spotted in Ghana. If someone like Amber Rose wants to comment on Ghana, the best is for her to be informed on what she is saying…And why does she think Ghana is entirely Africa? Gosh! Africa is a continent, Ghana is a country and she just visited Ghana, we have 53 countries in Africa.”

So she took to her blog to give her final say on the situation, blaming the scrutiny on sexism. (Her points are kinda valid, too.)

U do something positive in this industry u get scrutinized I really came to the conclusion that its not even about me its the fact that I’m a woman. Men in the entertainment industry are praised constantly for their ” wrong doings”. if ur a drug dealer and u took care of ur family before ur fame everyone understands. If u get shot in the mist of u hustling ur cool as f***. If a mans naked pics hit the internet ppl think its cute or funny then just talk about how big he is. A Man can date 20 models at the same time and he is respected by the world and if a girl does it she’s a disgusting whore and a “Star F***er” Women get destroyed by the media and our peers constantly but I am writing this to specifically speak about myslf. Regardless of the fact I dated Kanye for 2 years or the fact I was a stripper at 15 years old or that my most private pics were stolen from me and a new batch hit the internet every week, I am a human being. I’m a daughter, a best friend, a great wife and a all around good person. i never speak negatively about anyone. Have I? NO. U think i don’t want to? I course I do I’m human. But I keep my life positive and I stay strong every time my ex talks about me in his songs or when these blogs tell nothing but lies about me or when ppl say that I shouldn’t be speaking to young girls in Africa. Why wouldn’t I speak to those girls? I AM West African just like them, I grew up poor just like them, most of those girls quit school to take care of their families JUST LIKE I DID. So how the hell do they not relate to my life and I theirs??? Talking to those young girls wasn’t a job for me feeding those kids wasn’t a job for me it wasn’t for publicity and I didn’t get paid to do it. I went there cuz I LOVE to help ppl. I DON’T want a pat on the back for shit that I do from my heart or even a thank u it was my blessing to go out to Ghana it is a second home for me now and it changed my life FOREVER! So don’t criticize me and say why is Kanye’s ex stripper Girlfriend in Africa I am so much more then that smh there is a reason why he loved me so much and theres a reason why Wiz loves me so much now did u ever think maybe I’m just a sweet person? Every girl reading this has an ex boyfriend and every guy reading this is most likely dating a girl that has been with more then 1 guy. So what have I done to everyone? Its it because u think I am undeserving of this life because of my past? Or is it pure hatred? If I was a man and dated 2 female artist would that be ok? Thats not as bad right? Bullshit. And the one thing that is extremely upsetting is the fact that woman criticize me more then men do. Look at yourselves before u criticize someone u don’t know Look at the mistakes you’ve made in ur life. ppl are so negative it’s ridiculous But I will continue to be positive, Loving and all about women empowerment and to my Rosebuds I know u guys get it and I LOOOOVE u so much for supporting me through all of this nonsense. Thank u -Amb

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?

Did Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa Secretly Get Married?

Wiz Khalifa Defends Amber Rose’s Revealing Photo Leaks

Wiz Khalifa & Amber Rose To Make Music Together

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.