There was a time when the sky was the limit for CeeLo Green’s career. After forming the hip-hop group Goodie Mob and embarking on a successful solo career, the singer achieved international success as one-half of the chart-topping duo Gnarls Barkley.
He also found fame as a popular TV personality, appearing as a coach on The Voice for the show’s first three seasons. But since the mid-2010s, the Georgia-born artist has been largely absent from the spotlight. So what happened to CeeLo Green? Here’s an update.
CeeLo Green’s Career Suffered After Multiple Controversies
From hateful social media posts to serious criminal charges, CeeLo Green’s music and TV career began to tank as more negative news came to light. Let’s look at some of the biggest controversies.
Homophobic Tweets
The first big blow to Green’s reputation occurred back in 2011, when the “Crazy” singer was called out for making a homophobic comment on Twitter. In response to a negative review of one of his live performances, Green wrote the following tweet to the reviewer: “I respect your criticism but be fair! People enjoyed last night! I’m guessing ur gay? and my masculinity offended u? well f&*&k U!”
Green’s followers were immediately upset by his remark, and the singer angered them further by arguing that he shouldn’t have to apologize for defending himself against a critic. But after facing mounting backlash, he changed his tune.
“I always expect people to assume that everything I do is part of my character and sense of humor,” he explained in a statement. “I assumed that [the reviewer] would assume it was all in good fun. It wasn’t taken so well, apparently.”
“I most certainly am not harboring any sort of negative feeling toward the gay community,” he added. “I don’t have an opinion on people with different religious, sexual or political preferences. I’m one of the most liberal artists that I think you will ever meet, and I pride myself on that.”
Sexual Assault Accusation And Drug Charges
Green’s reputation was further tarnished in 2012 when a woman accused him of slipping her the drug ecstasy and sexually assaulting her. After a lengthy investigation, the LAPD dropped the sexual assault charge but slapped The Voice judge with a felony count of furnishing ecstasy.
After pleading no contest to the charge in 2014, Green took to Twitter to emphasize the fact that he was not charged with sexual battery, writing “If someone is passed out they’re not even WITH you consciously, so WITH implies consent. People who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!”
Unsurprisingly, this comment did not go over well with his followers. And while Green was sentenced to three years’ probation for his crime, the insensitive tweet was even more damaging to his career. Eventually, the singer apologized. “I do realize in retrospect that it was highly sensitive, what I tweeted—highly irresponsible,” he said. “It did stem from emotion causing some involuntary action, and I do believe that, maybe just possibly, we could all give each other a margin for human error.”
He’s Still Making Music Today
Green certainly paid the price for his controversies. The singer’s TBS reality show, The Good Life, was canceled following his no-contest plea. And though he claimed he left The Voice of his own accord while he was being investigated by the LAPD, many people believed it was just a preemptive measure to avoid being fired from the show.
But the “Bright Lights Bigger City” singer hasn’t completely disappeared. He released two albums in 2020—one as a solo artist (CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway) and one with Goodie Mob (Survival Kit). He’s actively pursuing new opportunities to practice his craft, so don’t count Green out! We haven’t heard the last of the controversial singer.
He Has Continued To Work In Television
Singing isn’t the only string to Green’s bow. He has also stepped into voice acting, lending his inimitable voice to both Teen Titans Go! and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
In 2020, he appeared as the Monster on the British version of The Masked Singer. You can also see him onscreen in Hate, a feature film examining the multifaceted effects of hate on humanity. That’s certainly a powerful message to get out there.
You certainly can’t fault Green for his work ethic. While he’s had his fair share of controversies, he’s worked tirelessly to entertain with both singing and acting. Who knows what we’ll be seeing from him next.