The singers were set to perform a tribute to Michael Jackson.
Dick Clark Productions is speaking out over Chris Brown’s claims that his performance in honor of the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller was pulled from Sunday night’s American Music Awards.
On Saturday, Brown took to his Instagram to share a video of himself and backup dancers rehearsing his song, "Under the Influence," before transitioning into a performance of Jackson’s hit, "Beat It."
"U SERIOUS? 🤦♂️," the 33-year-old wrote next to the video. After his comments were flooded with fans asking what he was referring to, the "Go Crazy” singer clarified it in the comments.
"WOULDVE been the ama performance but they cancelled me for reasons unknown. 🤷🏽♂️," he wrote.
On Monday, in a statement to ET, a DCP spokesperson clarified that the tribute being pulled was a matter of creative direction and no fault of Brown's.
"Live shows change all the time, it’s the nature of this business; unfortunately, this element of the AMAs didn’t come together as we couldn’t align on the performance, to no fault of Chris Brown," the statement read.
On Monday, Ciara got in on the conversation and shared a video that featured her in the same rehearsal space as Brown doing the choreography for "Thriller," leading on that she was also slated to perform for the tribute.
In another portion of the video, Ciara rehearses a portion of Jackson’s "Billie Jean."
"MJ thank you for the inspiration you’ve given us all! Thriller 40th Anniversary. @ChrisBrownOfficial you’re a rare breed of this generation. Always fun to rock with you 💃🏽," the "Level Up" singer wrote.
On Monday, a source told ET, "Ciara was confirmed to perform with Chris as part of the Michael Jackson tribute. No reason was given as to why it was pulled."
Sunday night’s American Music Awards went on with no tribute to Michael Jackson. Although Brown wasn’t in attendance at the ceremony, he still had a moment.
The "Loyal" singer took home the award for Male R&B Artist. After singer Kelly Rowland announced that he won, some audience members reacted with boos. Before accepting the award on his behalf, Rowland had a message for the room and the musician.
"Chris Brown is not here tonight, so I'm accepting this award on his behalf," Rowland began before quieting the crowd. "Excuse me, chill out."
She continued, "But I want to tell Chris, thank you so much for making great R&B music, and I want to tell him thank you for being an incredible performer. I'll take this award, bring it to you. I love you. Congratulations, and congratulations to all the nominees in this category."
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