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Blue Ivy’s hair makes a lousy punch line, Karrueche Tran and BET learn

Blue Ivy Carter hit the MTV Video Music Awards stage with father Jay Z after mom Beyonce performed and received the Video Vanguard Award on Sunday.
Blue Ivy Carter hit the MTV Video Music Awards stage with father Jay Z after mom Beyonce performed and received the Video Vanguard Award on Sunday.
(Mark Davis / Getty Images)
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Blue Ivy Carter’s hair might be pop culture’s third rail: Seems people who touch that topic can wind up getting hurt.

This week, “106 & Park” guest host Karreuche Tran as well as BET’s president of music programming and specials, Stephen G. Hill, found themselves apologizing profusely and publicly, and an unnamed BET producer was possibly suspended in the wake of a mean joke about the tot’s VMAs look that was broadcast live the night after the award show aired.

On Sunday night, Blue Ivy had been a too-cute mascot of sorts at the Video Music Awards while mama Beyonce ruled the world with a show-stopping performance.

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The 2-year-old drew attention in the audience on papa Jay Z’s lap, then hit the spotlight for real as she and dad joined mom onstage for the presentation of the MTV Video Vangard Award. Blue was all dressed up in a shimmering Bonpoint frock and gold Kenneth Cole Reaction ballet flats with a matching bow in her hair. She waved to someone in the crowd, and Jay Z gave his wife a smooch that Bey later posted on Instagram.

Things turned ugly Monday, however, when the nightly BET show “106 & Park” decided to speculate on the “Top Six Things Blue Ivy Thought at the VMAs.”

Thought No. 6, delivered by Tran, was, “I really did wake up like this — because my parents never comb my hair.”

Sound familiar? Perhaps that’s because the child’s natural hair has been a hot topic of discussion for most of her short life. In June, a petition — supposedly started as a joke — asking that someone simply comb it brought the debate into the mainstream. (Does it get more mainstream than “The View”?)

After the “106 & Park” gag, and despite Tran’s immediate off-script blurt, “Sorry, Blue. I love you,” the Beyhive attacked, trashing her on social media.

Chris Brown’s off-and-on girlfriend — who tweeted Monday night, “Now y’all know I LOVE me some Beyoncé and Blue Ivy! I didn’t write this script y’all lol,” — explained and apologized via Instagram on Tuesday.

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“Past two days have been extremely draining.. As I geared up for a big day for myself - hosting a live show.. I never expected things to turn out this way..,” Tran wrote. “I apologize to any and everyone who felt offended in any way by the comments made by BET executed through me.. I would never disrespect anyone’s child in any way and anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Beyoncé. My comments have been in complete shambles.. yes I am human too and yes I do make mistakes.. But all this negativity and death wishes are quite a lot.. Definitely a lesson learned from here forth.. Again, on behalf of MYSELF, my sincerest apologies.”

Yup, death wishes.

Tran had no idea what was coming when she read the joke cold off, a source close to Tran told TMZ.

Tuesday on Twitter, BET’s Hill posted a public apology that was retweeted by the network’s main account. In it, he asked haters to lay off his guest host, saying BET was sorry for putting her in a bad spot and noting that apologies had been made to Beyonce and Jay Z directly.

“Last night on 106 & Park there was a stupid, unthoughtful joke made about a young child,” Hill wrote in a series of tweets. “We apologize publically to the child’s parents (and have done so privately) and we have taken punitive actions with those responsible.

“It was very bad judgment and we will serve you much better in the future. Oh, and please don’t hate on Karrueche; it was NOT her fault. We also apologize to her for putting her in that position.”

The show is currently on a two-week hiatus, but not because of the joke, host Bow Wow, a.k.a. Shad Moss, tweeted.

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“Y’all crazy,” he said in an Instagram video posted Tuesday night. “No, man, we’re not getting suspended, we’re not going off the air, we are currently on hiatus that’s why you never see me on the show as of late ‘cause I’ve been using my time to actually film for ‘CSI.’ I just wanted to go ahead and clear that for anybody who’s out there not knowing the truth.”

However, those punitive actions Hill mentioned just might include suspension of a specific “106 & Park” producer, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday, citing a source at the network.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.

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