Eric Benét says Jay-Z lyric about Halle Berry divorce felt like a compliment; ‘I thought he was being cute’
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Speaking with Angie Martinez, the R&B singer reflected on the famous lyric, his response at the time and why he never held a grudge against Jay-Z.
Eric Benét says he was never offended by Jay-Z referencing him on “Kill Jay-Z.” During a new interview, the singer said he viewed the lyric as a compliment and laughed at how the media portrayed his reaction years ago.
Speaking on Angie Martinez IRL, the R&B singer reflected on Jay-Z’s 2017 track “Kill Jay-Z,” where the rap icon referenced Benét’s divorce from actress Halle Berry. Rather than taking offense, Benét said he always viewed the mention positively. “There was no animosity about that,” Benét said. “I thought he was being cute.” On the song, Jay-Z raps: “You almost went Eric Benét / Let the baddest girl in the world get away.” The lyric referenced Benét’s highly publicized split from Berry in 2005.
As reported by Complex, at the time, Benét responded on social media by writing that he already had “the baddest girl in the world,” referring to his wife, Manuela Testolini, whom he married in 2011. Looking back, Benét joked that the post created more attention than he expected. “That tweet backfired,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I should’ve shut the f*** up.”
Eric Benét explained that he was vacationing in Havana, Cuba, when the song was released. He said he and his wife were relaxing and laughing about the lyrics while headlines claimed he was angry. “We were just chilling in Havana with cigars… having a good time laughing about the whole thing,” he said. “It’s just funny how the media will take something…”
The singer also said he now considers the lyric flattering. “I actually felt complimented,” he said, noting that being referenced by one of hip-hop’s biggest artists was never something he viewed negatively.
The interview comes weeks after Benét addressed another long-discussed chapter of his personal life during an appearance on The Breakfast Club. He said he does not consider himself a sex addict, despite attending a rehabilitation program. Benét described his past infidelity as “selfish” and “transcendently dumb”.
Eric Benét has been married to Testolini for more than a decade, and the couple share two children. His comments on Angie Martinez IRL have renewed conversation about one of Jay-Z’s most memorable lyrics, but the singer made clear there has never been bad blood between the two artists.