‘Black Ink Crew’: Everything to Know About Ceaser Emanuel’s Firing
VH1 parted ways with Black Ink Crew star Ceaser Emanuel following 10 seasons and nearly a decade with the franchise. Here’s everything you need to know about the sudden firing.
A leaked video depicted ‘Black Ink Crew’ star Ceaser Emanuel hitting a dog
In a two-minute clip posted to Twitter by Got City Tea on June 22, 2022, reality star Ceaser Emanuel seemingly chases his dog out of the garage while yelling at him, “f*** outta here,” into his driveway. When the pet attempted to re-enter, Emanuel came back and asked, “why the f*** did you start doing that?” before kicking the dog.
He then walked over, picked up a folded chair, and struck the animal twice. After time passed, the tattoo artist returned outside and eventually put the dog in a cage, pushing it down a hill. The video is seemingly captured on a camera outside of Emanuel’s house.
Ceaser Emanuel’s lawyer issued a statement after the video resurfaced
When the clip began circulating on Twitter, the reality star responded through his lawyer, Walter Mosley. In a statement to People, the attorney referred to his client as an “avid dog lover” and claimed the situation occurred after the pet began attacking other dogs.
He said Emanuel had a “lapse of judgment” when handling the dog but insisted the tattoo shop owner was “protecting the smaller dogs.” Additionally, Mosley claimed the incident happened “almost a year” ago and that Emanuel has already acknowledged it.
VH1 fired Ceaser Emanuel from ‘Black Ink Crew’ due to the video
A day after the clip made its rounds on Twitter, VH1, that network that airs Black Ink Crew, also issued a response. On its official Facebook page, VH1 revealed it “made the decision” to part ways with Emanuel. “Since next season was close to finishing production, this decision will not impact the upcoming season,” the statement concluded.
It didn’t include the reason for the firing, but the network likely chose to cut him from the series due to his actions in the leaked video. While Emanuel will probably star in season 10, it’s unlikely Black Ink Crew: New York will return for another season. It’s unclear how the flagship show’s presumed termination will affect its spin-offs, such as Black Ink Crew: Chicago and Compton.
Ceaser Emanuel spoke out after his firing and claimed it was a ‘set up’
A day after VH1 announced its decision to fire Emanuel, the reality star told his side of the story to TMZ. He admitted the clip “looked crazy” and regrets his actions. However, he clarified what he said the footage didn’t show.
According to the reality star, his dogs were attacking each other, and one began going for him when he separated them. Emanuel described himself as “nervous and scared” at the moment and insisted he only attempted to “scare” his pet, not hurt him.
The reality star clarified that he’s not making “excuses” for his behavior but isn’t “cruel to animals,” noting that both dogs in question are currently in good health. He revealed he gave one dog away but kept the other because they couldn’t stay together.
Additionally, Emanuel said he attended dog school, so he’s better prepared to handle the animal if another situation arises. He then admitted he felt like he was “being set up in some way” as the leaked footage came from a personal Ring camera located at his house. The tattoo artist discovered his firing with the public, telling TMZ he saw it on Instagram while at the shop, likely filming for an upcoming season.
‘Black Ink Crew’ alum Donna Lombardi called out VH1 and Ceaser Emanuel after the video
Alum Taylor “Donna Marie Lombardi” Pinckney reacted to the footage by reposting it to her Instagram account and calling out Emanuel and the Black Ink Crew producers in her caption. “If you can treat a dog like this, it shows how sick of a person you truly are,” she began.
Lombardi then tagged the official account for VH1, Viacom, and Black Ink Crew and accused them of protecting the reality star following his daughter’s public allegations of abuse by creating “fake conflicting storylines” about her then-relationship with co-star Alex Robinson. “I pray the people see [Emanuel] as the monster you are,” she claimed before claiming “charges need to be pressed, and cancellations need to be made.”
