Kandi Burruss, the Grammy-winning songwriter who appears as a regular cast member on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta, has spoken out regarding the murder of her ex-fiance Ashley "A.J." Jewell on Friday. Jewell was beaten to death outside of the popular Atlanta strip club the Body Tap Club, where he was part-owner. Police charged club employee Frederick Richardson on Saturday with voluntary manslaughter. Read Burruss's comments after the jump.
Burruss initially declined to comment on her Twitter account, but the "No Scrubs" songwriter released the following statements as part of a blog entry sent to HelloBeautiful on Sunday:
"I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of my family and friends -- and that means my Twitter and Facebook friends as well -- for the beautiful words of encouragement, prayers, and the sweet condolences. I make it through these difficult days because of you."
"There was so much that he wanted to do. When I spoke to him yesterday I never thought that it would be for the last TIME! A.J had a great spirit and he was a good man. He was a father of six kids but had other children that he raised and loved like his own, including mine. So AJ was a father to many. It truly bothered him the way he has been portrayed in the media and actually it has bothered me too. AJ was NOT a "Scrub" like so many people like to blog and say. He had his own when we got together. He did not need me for financial gain, nor did he use me to gain some type of celebrity. When we got together we had no clue that we would be on t.v.. In all actuality, A.J hated and was uncomfortable with being on camera. He also hated that we made the decision to be on the show. Off camera A.J was very charismatic and a friend to many. He believed in God and always genuinely tried to do the right thing."
Jewell was a father to six children and appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta several times.
Kandi Burruss: Breaking Her Silence About Ex-Fiance A.J. Jewell's Murder [BV Newswire]