CMA Denies Deleting Footage Of Beyoncé, Dixie Chicks After Backlash

Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks stole the show at the 2016 Country Music Awards on Nov. 2, 2016 with their performance of "Daddy Lessons," but not everyone was happy about it.

TMZ reported that the Country Music Association removed all references of Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks from its website and social media platforms. Sources told the tab that CMA honchos removed the footage after being deluged with racially-charged and hate-filled messages about the singers, including missives such as, "That's right folks. Beyonce performed at the CMAs last night & is on a mission to take country music away from us, hardworking white people!" and "Beyonce overrated racist n***er bitch."

Sources close to the CMAs told TMZ the association's leaders "just want this to go away" and regret inviting the controversial songstresses in the first place. Yikes!

After the TMZ report broke, the CMA website and social media gradually began to post footage of the performance again—and denied anything untoward happened. "CMA has not erased any mentions of Beyoncé's performance on the CMA Awards. In advance of the broadcast, CMA removed a 5-second promotional clip from ABC.com and CMA's Facebook page," the Country Music Association told People. "The promo was unapproved and CMA removed it prior to the broadcast. Beyoncé's performance with Dixie Chicks was a highlight of the evening and we are continuing to share the amazing full-length performance clip via our official social channels."

A CMA chief executive told The New York Times that a clip of Beyoncé was removed before her performance at Queen Bey's own request, adding, "Beyoncé's team hadn't approved that, so we pulled it down. Fans can get kind of passionate and read other things into it."