Kentucky Governor Apologizes to Man Named Tupac Shakur; Shakur Accepts his Apology

That’s one headline, isn’t it?

Governor Andy Beshear was holding a coronavirus press conference on Monday, when he began to complain about people abusing the unemployment review system which slowed things down for everyone.

“We had someone apply for unemployment for Tupac Shakur, here in Kentucky. And that person probably thought they were being funny. They probably did,” he lamented. “Except for the fact that because of them, we got to go through so many other claims. One person, thinking that they were funny using someone else’s identity, is going to make tens of thousands, potentially, of other people wait. We can’t be doing that, and we shouldn’t be doing that as we move forward.”

Tupac Shakur, of course, is a deceased 90’s rapper who’s still idolized by many today.  The governor figured that some smart aleck Kentuckian was making a joke.  Turns out, Tupac Shakur is also an out-of-work Kentucky man, who lost his job as a cook. Because of the governor’s mistake, he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight for his unemployment status by the most powerful man in the state.

Reporters tracked the man down, and he was not happy with the unwanted attention. “I’ve been struggling for like the last month trying to figure out how to pay the bills,” said Shakur. “I’m hurt, I’m really embarrassed and I’m shocked.”

The governor called him and apologized for what he’d done.  The former cook accepted his apology.  “I understand, he’s dealing with a lot,” said Shakur. “Mistakes happen.”

Later, the governor made his apology public.

“I owe somebody an apology tonight,” said the governor. “Last night I spent a little bit of time talking about fraudulent claims holding us up. I mentioned an individual that had filed in the name of Tupac Shakur. I didn’t’ know — and it’s my fault — that we have a Kentuckian, who goes by Malik, whose name is Tupac Shakur. I talked to him on the phone today. I apologized. I told him how it happened, but I owned it. It’s my fault.”

The governor continued. “He was gracious, and I said I’m sorry if I embarrassed him and caused him any attention he didn’t want,” he said. “He was very kind. He ended the call ‘God Bless,’ and we’re going to make sure that we resolve his claim.”

This is an amusing story, and I appreciate the Daily Wire for bringing it to our attention.

It shows the humanity of both government leaders and citizens who are trying to figure out this mess.

God bless us all.

Hat Tip: Daily Wire