Snoop Dogg has issued a public apology following criticism of his remarks about the portrayal of a same-sex couple in Disney and Pixar’s 2022 film Lightyear. The rapper, who recounted an awkward moment watching the film with his grandson, admitted he was unprepared for the questions the scene sparked and acknowledged that his reaction upset many in the LGBTQ+ community.

The controversy began during Snoop’s recent appearance on the It’s Giving… Podcast, where he described taking his young grandson to see Lightyear. The film includes a brief but notable storyline in which a female space ranger is married to another woman, and the pair share a kiss. Snoop told the podcast that his grandson, puzzled by the relationship, turned to him for answers.

“‘Papa Snoop? How she have a baby with a woman? She’s a woman,’” the rapper recalled his grandson asking. Snoop admitted the moment caught him off guard. “Ah sh*t, I didn’t come in here for this. I just came to watch the goddamn movie,” he said on the podcast, noting he encouraged the boy to keep watching despite the questions.

Snoop went on to confess that he felt “scared to go to the movies now” because of topics like this surfacing unexpectedly. In a since-deleted portion of the interview, he described the moment as throwing him “for a loop,” adding: “These are kids. We have to show that at this age? They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer.”

His remarks quickly circulated online, where they drew backlash for suggesting discomfort with LGBTQ+ representation in children’s media.

On Wednesday, Snoop responded directly to the criticism in a comment left on Hollywood Unlocked’s Instagram post, which had covered his podcast story. “My bad,” he wrote. “I was just caught off guard and had no answer for my grandsons. All my gay friends what’s up, they been calling me with love. My bad for not knowing the answers for a 6 yr old. Teach me how to learn. I’m not perfect.”

As Snoop attempted to smooth tensions, Lightyear screenwriter Lauren Gunderson weighed in to defend the inclusion of the lesbian couple. In a statement on her Instagram, Gunderson explained how the characters came about: “a key character needed a partner, and it was so natural to write ‘she’ instead of ‘he,’” Gunderson wrote. “As small as that detail is in the film, I knew the representational effect it could have. Small line, big deal. I was elated that they kept it.”

Though Gunderson noted she was only one of several writers who worked on the film across its development, she said she was proud that the final version preserved the relationship. “I’m proud of it. To infinity. Love is love,” she wrote, adding that such portrayals matter because “beautiful love like this exists.”

The Lightyear scene sparked debate even before its release, with the film banned in several countries over the inclusion of the lesbian couple. For supporters of LGBTQ+ representation, however, the brief moment marked a milestone for Disney and Pixar, often criticized for lagging behind in on-screen diversity.