"This is wrong on so many levels": Fans sympathize with Flau'jae Johnson amid South Carolina DJ controversy involving her father

On Friday, the matchup between the South Carolina Gamecocks and LSU Tigers took a turn due to an incident involving LSU’s star guard, Flau'jae Johnson. The Gamecocks celebrated a 66-56 victory over LSU, but what happened at the game overshadowed the scoreline.

The DJ made an ill-advised decision to play a song by rapper Camoflauge, who was the father of Johnson. The situation had significant emotional weight because Camoflauge, whose real name was Jason Johnson, was shot and killed in 2003 in the family’s hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

Johnson was not yet born when her father died, making the song particularly impactful. Johnson, who is also a rapper and has been vocal about the influence her father’s music has had on her, was understandably upset.

The choice of the song drew attention and sparked an outpouring of sympathy from teammates, fans, and commentators alike. One fan wrote on social media:

"This is wrong on so many levels. Hate you have to experience that. Your dad is so proud of you tho, continue to thrive & be great 🫶🏾. "

"Flau'jae Johnson’s deceased father is Camouflauge and this bum played a Camouflage song after South Carolina beat LSU, " another fan said.

"So South Carolina played Flau'jae Johnson’s dad’s music at some point during the game, knowing he’s passed and it would be the utmost disrespect. SMFH. Yeah that’s classless. Losing a basketball game doesn’t warrant that type of behavior, " said another fan.

"Wow. Just when you thought South Carolina couldn’t stoop any lower, they play a song by Flau'jae Johnson’s father who was shot and kilked before she was even born during the game." another comment read.

"It's disgusting, " someone said.

DJ’s defiant social media interaction after Flau'jae Johnson’s response

After the backlash from Johnson and fans, the DJ appeared to double down on their actions in a rather tone-deaf manner. On social media, the DJ posted a screenshot of a story in which someone commented on the decision to play Camoflauge’s song.

"Playing Camoflauge at the end of the game was crazy."

The DJ responded with “My bad” followed by a laughing emoji, which seemed to trivialize the situation.

The situation only intensified as fans began to point out the DJ’s earlier social media posts, which further fueled the perception that the DJ didn’t understand the gravity of their actions.

Realizing the backlash was gaining momentum, the DJ eventually issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) to clarify their intentions and express remorse. They explained that she had been a fan of Camoflauge for years and had played his music at several other events without issue:

"I apologize for playing Cut Friends Instrumental at the game yesterday. It is never my intent to disrespect anyone or offend anyone when my job is to have fun and make sure other people have a good time."

Amid the controversy, Flau'jae Johnson remained focused on her role as a basketball player. However, her performance in the game against South Carolina was less than stellar. She finished the game with just 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting, a disappointing stat line for a player who has been averaging a career-high 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists this season.

Despite Johnson’s effort, LSU struggled against the Gamecocks, who extended their win streak over LSU to 17 consecutive games.