Christina Grimmie’s Family Respond To Teen Choice Awards Snub And It’s Emotional
2 August 2016, 12:39 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09
A source close to the family has spoken out.
On Sunday Night, the Teen Choice Awards were held in LA. As well as the many celebrities and performances, a big draw to the show was the nomination of Christina Grimmie, the singer who was murdered in June at a fan meet-and-greet in Florida.
Christina Grimmie went on to win the award for #ChoiceMusicWebStar yet she was not mentioned ONCE during the live broadcast.
In addition to the award, many have asked why a segment called #StopTheViolence, which featured teens affected by gun violence, also did not mention Christina. Christina was fatally shot twice in the head and once in the chest by a deranged fan.
It's a contentious issue, considering the segment did appear to have a focus on victims and families of police brutality, as the below clip demonstrates. This might explain why her death wasn't explicitly mentioned in this segment.
this is such a beautiful tribute and it holds such a powerful message #TeenChoice #StopTheViolence pic.twitter.com/8rDgP8v0cT
— antonio del otero (@antoniodelotero) August 1, 2016
However, given that her name and image had been used to promote the show, many felt her death had been exploited by TCA for viewing figures. Fans took to social media to express their anger and disappointment with the TCA. A petition was also started calling on the TCA and Fox broadcasting network to apologize "for the blatant disrespect" shown to Christina's memory.
.@TheRealGrimmie lives on through her music. Retweet in honor of her memory for #ChoiceMusicWebStar. #TeenChoice pic.twitter.com/dU3Jv39dzc
— Teen Choice Awards (@TeenChoiceFOX) 18 July 2016
Now, Christina's family have responded via a source to ET Online and it would seem they are not happy either. The source said in a statement:
"While we are glad that Christina finally won her much deserved Teen Choice Award, we are also definitely disappointed that her name was not mentioned at any point during the two-hour broadcast. It seems they could have paid honour or tribute to her in some way and that opportunity was missed. The fans have a right to be upset."
The only mention of her win was a tweet from the TCA Twitter account. Most fans and commentators seem to be in agreement with Christina's family.
@etnow @itsMikeyV12 I definitely am disappointed too. They used Christina's death to get RT's and votes
— shay (@SharnaKeoLove) August 1, 2016
@etnow as they should be. I appriciate they took the time to adress the other shootings but they should have mentioned Christina
— Carli (@carlifiveH) August 1, 2016
@etnow I don't blame her family for being disappointed. It's bullshit that they didn't mention her once, they have every right to be.
— Kari Price (@kariprice567) August 1, 2016
@etnow of course they were, they disrespected christina's death smh
— julia (@juliakrsten) August 2, 2016
The story of Christina Grimmie is heartbreaking. A young talent taken far too early by senseless violence. The TCA effectively promised to Christina's family and fans that she will be honoured by using her name and image in promotion for the show. They obviously failed to do that properly.
Do you agree with Christina Grimmie's family? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
