Bounty Killer Says Domestic Abuse History Still Haunts Him
Bounty Killer is a reformed character, and the Dancehall veteran wants his fans to know it.
Despite his troubled past, the “Fed Up” deejay has emerged as a growing voice against domestic abuse in recent years.
He recently explained how his past of domestic violence allegations still affects his present.
“I used to be cross, angry, miserable. As yuh say ‘Hey’, mi say ‘nay’, and me ready fi ‘lay’, but it put me inna some serious consequences. Over the years, until this day, some a dem still stay. Yuh hear dem say I was arrested for hammering a young lady, that was a lie. I did not hammer no young lady, but I did assault that young lady. And hammer her, or box her, or touch her, it was still assault, so I did something wrong. It doesn’t matter if it was a big thing or little thing, it should’ve been nothing,” he confessed.
Bounty Killer was speaking at a forum for violence against women at Red Stripe offices last week Wednesday.
His comments stem from a conflict that transpired a decade ago. At the time, it was reported that he was arrested and charged for domestic abuse following an incident with an alleged girlfriend.
He said that despite his best efforts to show his change, he still gets significant backlash, highlighting the public resentment he received following an International Women’s Day performance a few years ago.
“I get a piece a backlash trying to make a change, trying to be a better version of myself, trying to own up to my wrongs and trying to tell everybody that it is not a good thing. It not supposed to happen and please prevent it,” he continued.
Bounty Killer explained that his foolish act caused him years of guilt as he recounted the significant backlash in the media and losing his US Visa.
“I lost my visa 10 years ago also and it was all because of my name in the media implicating me in all those things. All those losses and consequences is just from lifting up your hands, and when you come out of your anger, yuh always realise say a foolishness yuh do, but it done gone bad already,” he added.
However, the “Living Dangerously” deejay said he wasn’t the only one affected by his past actions as his children also faced consequences, adding that this one of his main motivations for change.
“Even my kids get mockery at school, and that’s not a good impact on them,” he revealed.
Bounty Killer said he feels a responsibility to tell his story as domestic violence continues to spiral out of control in Jamaica.
“Dem say when yuh burn, yuh learn, and I’ve been through the fire and have been purified. Mine was a case weh it never take no lives, but this is becoming a real epidemic now where we see lovers killing each other in their own homes. That’s a curse,” he said.
“We need good role models and that’s what I keep searching for, the better version of myself. That’s why I gladly take this opportunity to come in and talk, reason, and see what kind of solutions we can come up with,” he added.
Bounty Killer encouraged the listeners to pay attention to the actions of their significant others, noting that “the wrong person will never do the right thing.”
