Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black star Xavier Smalls has issued an apology to LGBTQ people following controversial remarks he made on social media. The actor referred to them as an "abomination" in an Instagram Live video, comparing them to murderers and more, and faced widespread backlash after his comments were widely shared. He has since released a lengthy statement to express his regret and shared his understanding of the consequences of his words. In the apology letter, Smalls stated that he has learned about tragedies that occurred to LGBTQ individuals due to homophobia and has taken more than a decade to reflect on his words and understand their impact.