Rapper Nelly is pushing back against a fresh wave of criticism over his appearance at President Donald Trump’s inaugural Liberty Ball in January. In social-media comments and recent radio interviews, the 50-year-old artist said the performance was about “respect for the office” rather than an endorsement of Trump and claimed he would have accepted the invitation from any sitting president. Responding to detractors who accuse him of betraying the Black community, Nelly directed his anger at supporters of former vice president Kamala Harris, asserting that Harris “locked up more Black men” during her time as a prosecutor and highlighting that he is married to a Black woman while she is married to a white man. He also noted long-standing philanthropic work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities alongside fellow performer Snoop Dogg. The controversy, amplified by clips from the couple’s new Peacock reality series “Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together,” has stirred tension within his own family circle. In one episode, Ashanti’s mother, Tina Douglas, who marched in the civil-rights movement, calls the decision “very emotional,” while industry chatter, including a claim by rapper Trick Daddy, suggests Nelly received about $1.5 million for the gig. Nelly has not confirmed the figure. The backlash adds to a separate public debate sparked this week when the Grammy winner told Ashanti on-camera that nocturnal childcare and diaper duty are not his responsibility, prompting criticism that he is shirking parenting duties for the couple’s 11-month-old son. Taken together, the flare-ups have kept Nelly—and the marketing push for his new television series—firmly in the spotlight.