Keri Hilson is again recalling her regrettable Beyoncé diss track, alleging male executives behind the scenes forced her to sing lyrics she didn’t write and threatened her career otherwise. She also wishes she would’ve gone against them and ultimately lose her label deal to avoid being “crucified” and having her mental health affected for years to come.
About a year ago, in April 2025, Keri previously opened up about her Beyoncé diss after fellow singer-songwriter Ester Dean admitted she was the writer behind Keri’s Beyoncé diss — which arrived on her “Turnin’ Me On (Remix)” from March 2009.
The admission resulted in Keri revisiting the painful time in her career and sharing her whole truth. Over the years, Keri has profusely apologized and expressed regret over the diss, but the damage was done and critics had said their pieces.
RELATED: Ester Dean Admits She Was The Writer Behind Keri Hilson’s Beyonce Diss
Keri Hilson Recalls Regrettable Beyoncé Diss Track And How She Was ‘Threatened’ To Sing Lyrics She Didn’t Write
Keri Hilson is now releasing her new project, ‘We Need To Talk: Redemption,’ concluding installment of her three-part album. As she does so, she briefly recalls her controversy with Beyoncé. During a recent album release event in Atlanta, Keri tearfully claimed she was coerced into singing someone else’s lyrics. If she didn’t comply, she claims she would lose her label deal and her career.
In hindsight, which is always 20/20, Keri wishes she would have stood her ground. She says she would have been okay with losing her deal. She would rather that than to have faced years and years of “crucification” and harm to her mental heath. During Keri’s emotional reflection, she insisted that she’s always been a girl’s girl and fan of Beyoncé. She said she even looked up to her in the industry, like everyone else did.
“Power dynamics are real and people love to flex them when they want to convince you, or force you, to do something that you don’t want to do. Power dynamics are real. This is how I learned that. I didn’t even know the phrase back then, but that’s exactly what was happening. These are people that had my career in the palm of their hands and at the push of a button it could all go away, and that was very much the threat. Very verbal was that threat, very verbal, very verbatim.
What choice did I feel I had at 22 years old—with grown men, millionaires, people who are literally at—but still I didn’t believe what they believed. I didn’t see the world the way they saw the world. To this day, I wish, I just wish I lost my deal. That was the threat for me. I wish I just gave up like, ‘All right. Well, if that’s what you guys are trying to make me… I wish I wish.’
The world saw it the way they saw it and they felt the way they felt about someone deserving of that. And at the time, like ‘Who is Keri Hilson?’ Why would she think she’s equal to…you know?”
Keri Hilson was then asked if she ever ran into Beyoncé and if it was ever awkward. She said:
“We shared the same space several times. It was awkward for me. Maybe for her too, you know? But, she introduced herself, we shook hands. At that point was a moot point, I guess. It was kind of during the backlash. She was probably like. ‘She’s had enough. Hi, I’m Beyoncé.’ You know, she’s probably like, ‘Yeah, she’s going through enough about that.’
I just remember begging them to tell her the truth. She probably knew who was behind it…maybe. But, to this day, like I begged. I begged for them to tell her the truth. Can you please at least—if the world is bashing me, can she at least know the real deal? Can you at least—so I could sleep? Because I suffered. I suffered. But, I at least just wanted her to know that wasn’t me.”
As Keri begins to tear up, she continued to share:
“They’ve told me so many times—I didn’t know you were gonna ask anything about this—but I’ve been told by my PR, I’ve been told by so many people in my camp, like,’ Hey, just avoid that question. Avoid that question, you’re done talking about that.’ I can’t help it because I am an open book and I’m like I’m finally being heard about it.
In prior years, I didn’t feel confident enough to come out because it would have also meant throwing others under the bus so I ate it. I ate it by myself. I stood there crucified by myself. I didn’t put the blame where it actually belonged. I took a piece of it. I I deserved a piece of it is what I mean. I deserved the piece that I, you know. But, there were others involved.”
As Keri is told that “people will leave you out there holding a bag,” she agreed, “And they did.” She continued:
“Did anybody see anybody ever come to my rescue? Did anyone ever see anybody say anything about who Keri really is or what she actually—how that went down? No one ever came out with the truth. I just took the blows. I just stood in the ring getting beat the hell up. But, I stayed there. You can’t say Keri ain’t ‘P.’ You cannot say I’m not player. You cannot say that.
As if I were the only, like I just [said], ‘Okay,’ [and] took it on the chin. ‘Okay, that’s my—oh well, I guess that’s the end of my career.’ That’s what I thought. That’s what I felt. But here I stand.”
Keri Hilson Insists She’s Always Been A Girl’s Girl And A Fan Of Beyoncé While Reflecting On Regrettable Diss Track
Keri Hilson also talked about her mental health as all of this was playing out over the years. She said”
“That was definitely one of the things that did impact my mental health. It was certainly one of the biggest things in my lifeline. One of, not the only, but one of. It’s funny—this is a delicate conversation obviously, but it’s funny that you mentioned the athletic piece because when I played ball, I am a finesse or fundamental player. I’m not a dirty player. I never was. I don’t think like that. I don’t operate in any facet of anything like that. I’m not a nasty undercutting, you know. I’m just not and I’m a girl’s girl, you know. And I’m a fan of Beyoncé, and other, many other females. Like, I came in the game looking up to her. Who didn’t? You know we all did.
But, when you’re signed to those who play differently, approach the game differently, they’re a different kind of athlete. And you end up being—I’ve used the word ‘forced.’ I’ve used the word ‘threatened.’ They’re both true. They just sound really harsh to say things that you don’t even believe. I didn’t write it. I get to the studio and this is there for me and I had literally no choice. I tried to wiggle out. I tried to—I’d stated my case. I tried to advocate for myself. I said those same things.
I said in that session, ‘This is not what kind of athlete I am. I don’t like this. This is not who I am. I don’t play like that. I don’t play like that. We don’t have to do that. I’m already working. It’s already going in a certain direction. Like, why would we take that risk?’ I just didn’t see the point. I didn’t see the point. I really didn’t see the point, but I had no choice and I paid for that. Not feeling as if I had enough fight. Like in hindsight, I I mean, tossed and turned for years and years and years because of now the public viewed it the way they should have viewed it. You know, they viewed it the way they should have viewed it. My only issue was with myself.”
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