Skepta is not someone who regularly comments on situations that do not involve him, which is why his occasional public criticism tends to attract attention. Over the weekend, the rapper took to Twitter to call out what he described as "grown men" and "complete strangers" after many people felt North West was made uncomfortable during her appearance at Paris Fashion Week.
Several videos from the event quickly spread across social media, showing the 13 year old interacting with fans. In one clip, a man ignored her attempt to greet him with a handshake and instead pulled her into a hug. The U.K. artist responded to the footage on Saturday, June 27, making it clear that he did not approve of the interaction.
"A blind man could see she wanted a handshake kmt," he wrote, captioning the aforementioned clip. "My fans know I try to stay out of peoples business but damn the way grown men, complete strangers, try to use North makes me sick."
One social media user replied to Big Smoke by suggesting that North's piercings made her seem older than her age, arguing that she was only a child on paper. Skepta strongly rejected that idea. "WOW!! Protect your kids people. Protect your kids!" he wrote. "Sickening, schools teaching French, German & English when really the language most people need to f***ing learn is ‘Body Language.’"
Another user questioned his criticism by asking, "Is hugging a social offense now?," prompting Skepta to respond directly. "What are you talking about?! She is 13 years old and she put her hand out for a handshake, you don’t ignore that. I can’t believe some these replies to my tweet."
It remains to be seen whether Skepta's comments will spark more discussion online or help bring the conversation to a close.
North West has frequently found herself at the center of public debate, with some critics questioning Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's parenting while others argue that media attention surrounding her has become excessive. Regardless of those opinions, many people overlook North's own individuality and instead become caught up in online narratives, often losing sight of basic respect and appropriate public behavior.
North is also preparing for an upcoming tour, and many hope fans will continue to respect her personal space during future public appearances. Meanwhile, Skepta has maintained a relatively quiet presence musically, leaving fans looking forward to whatever new music he decides to release next.
Danny Bretherton will not be joining the European leg of December 10's upcoming tour.
The 17 year old singer recently announced that he was "taking some time out" from the band, which rose to fame on Simon Cowell's Netflix series The Next Act. As a result, he is not expected to take part in the group's European dates for the December 10: The Next Step tour.
A source close to the band told The Sun newspaper: "Danny is taking his mental health and wellbeing seriously, which is why he’s taking a break at this time.
"The band are fully supportive of this, and for now they’re focused on delivering the best shows possible for their fans on their first European tour."
December 10 are due to kick off the tour with a performance in Amsterdam on Friday (26.06.26).
Last week, the band confirmed that Danny was "taking some time out" so he could focus on his mental health and get the support he needs.
The announcement followed criticism he had received online over claims that he made inappropriate comments in the past.
A statement from the band read: "Danny’s taking some time out at the moment and we’re all respecting that.
"One thing we’ve always spoken about as a band is the importance of looking after your mental health and getting support when you need it.
"Right now, that’s what Danny is focusing on.
"He’s our friend and we care about him, so we’re supporting him and giving him the space and privacy he needs."
Fans began questioning whether Danny had left the group after he was absent from recent promotional photos featuring fellow members Nicolas Alves, Josh Olliver, Hendrik Christoffersen, Sean Hayden, John Fadare and Cruz Lee Ojo.
Danny later addressed both the speculation surrounding his future with the band and the criticism aimed at him in a video posted on TikTok.
He said: "Looking back at some of my actions, I understand why this has caused upset and hurt and for that, I am truly sorry.
"I didn’t think enough about how my behaviour might affect other people."
Danny recently spoke about Simon, describing him as an excellent mentor for the band.
He told ContactMusic.com: "We talk to him a lot. We were all at his house the other day for a barbecue chilling but also talking about the next steps that we’re going to go through. We couldn’t ask for anyone better to guide use what we’re going through at the minute."