Gloria Steinem labels T.I.’s virginity checks on daughter ‘suspicious’ and ‘human rights violation’

Gloria Steinem has said that rapper T.I. accompanying his 18-year-old daughter to gynecologist appointments to check that she is still a virgin is a ‘human rights abuse’.

The social and political activist rose to prominence as a journalist in the 60s and 70s amid the feminist movement when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny and exposed sexism behind the job. 

Steinem, 85, labeled T.I. – real name Clifford Joseph Harris Jr – ‘sexist’ on Tuesday for bragging on the Ladies Like Us podcast how he has ensured that his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah Harris’s hymen is still intact.

‘That is a human rights abuse, it is not his hymen, it is not his body, he doesn’t have any right to be there,’ Steinem told TMZ.  ‘You can’t invade a child’s body other than for a medical emergency.

Gloria Steinem (left) said Tuesday about T.I. (right) meeting with his daughter’s gynecologist: ‘That is a human rights abuse, it is not his hymen, it is not his body’ 

Steinem said about the rapper and his 18-year-old daughter Deyjah (pictured): ‘You can’t invade a child’s body other than for a medical emergency’

‘There’s a power relationship that’s very suspicious there. I don’t think it sounds like free will.’ 

Steinem shared her opinion after a videographer told her Harris had signed off on him having access to her medical information.

But she got more fired up when she learned T.I. has allowed his younger son to have sex.

‘That makes it even worse,’ she said. ‘He is the sexist of the most classic sort. And the courts should be after him.’ 

T.I admitting that he met with his daughter’s doctor after her annual pelvic exam was a shocking revelation that had Twitter users roundly denouncing his behavior.

As the story spread, Deyjah liked tweets calling her dad ‘disgusting,’ ‘possessive,’ and ‘controlling,’ then she seemed to have unfollowed him on Twitter and Instagram altogether. 

The 85-year-old claimed: ‘There’s a power relationship that’s very suspicious there. I don’t think it sounds like free will’. Deyjah, pictured with her family, just started college, but T.I. says he still makes her annual gynecologist appointment and meets with the doctor

Steinem got more fired up when she learned T.I. has allowed his younger son to have sex. ‘That makes it even worse. He is the sexist of the most classic sort. And the courts should be after him.’ T.I.’s son King, who is  just 15, has been sexually active since he was 14

It’s unclear when, exactly, Deyjah stopped following her dad on the two social media platforms, though fans are assuming it was shortly after his podcast interview earned international attention. 

She is also no longer following her mother, Tiny Harris.

Interestingly, though Tiny is still following Deyjah, T.I. is not. However, he is following a Deyjah fan account that uses the same profile picture and may simply have been confused as to what her daughter’s official account is.

But Deyjah’s feelings are quite clear. In addition to unfollowing her dad, she has like three tweets by other people who have been critical of him.  

‘This is disgusting, possessive and controlling,’ wrote one, who later also tweeted: ‘I am sick to my stomach… “my results” its her body not yours.’

‘That is just beyond possessive,’ tweeted another who got a ‘like’ from Deyjah.

She also liked a supportive tweet from a woman who wrote: ‘I hope your truly ok. Him telling the world your personal business medically and your choices as a woman to do or not do a personal and special moment in your life is never right.’ 

In agreement: Since the story broke, Deyjah has liked several tweets criticizing her dad’s behavior as ‘possessive’ and ‘disgusting’

Gone: Ladies Like Us Podcast hosts Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham have deleted the episode in which they laughed at T.I. saying he takes his teen daughter Deyjah Harris for virginity tests 

Apology: In addition to deleting the episode, Nazanin and Nadia issued an apology for laughing about the ‘uncomfortable topic’

Stars have chimed in too. Iggy Azaela, who has been feuding with T.I., said he is a ‘huge misogynist and has never been able to have a conversation with any woman in which he doesn’t speak like a fortune cookie.’ 

On her show, Wendy Williams said she would have felt ‘violated’ if either of her parents had done the same, and slammed T.I. for not having the same standards for his teenage son. 

The hosts have also reacted. Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham have since deleted the episode, and released a statement on their social media pages apologizing for their reaction to T.I.’s disturbing comments. 

The move came after negative reactions flooded Twitter.

Some have taken issue not just with his behavior, but his misconceptions about female anatomy.

‘FYI Vaginal coronas can also stay intact even with penetration. You cannot test for virginity,’ wrote one.

Even Planned Parenthood tweeted: ‘A virgin is someone who’s never had sex. But “sex” means different things to different people, so “virginity” does too. Many don’t care what it means or think it matters. Whatever you believe, the fact is you can’t tell if someone’s had sex by checking their hymen.’ 

Some have also slammed the doctor for going along with the scheme.

‘Scientific stuffs about hymens aside, What Gynecologist checks for that and will agree to go along with that? Unless he’s up in the room with her with some binoculars?’ wrote one.  

T.I.’s comments certainly ignited a firestorm on social media.

‘Deyjah’s 18, just graduated high school now and she’s attending her first year of college, figuring it out for herself,’ said the star, who also has a three-year-old named Heiress.

‘And yes, not only have we had the conversation [about sex], we have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen.’

Lest the podcast hosts Nazanin Mandi and Nadia Moham think he was joking or exaggerating, T.I. then went into more detail about their doctor visits.

‘So it’s this one time we go, I think this might have been after her 16th birthday. This is what we do. Right after the birthday we celebrate,’ he said.

‘Usually like the day after the party, she’s enjoying her gifts. I put a sticky note on the door: “Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30.”  

Possessive: The doctor has explained that a hymen can break from non-sexual activities, but T.I. is satisfied to learn that hers is still intact

Daughters: Deyjah also has a little sister named Heiress (pictured)

Of course, doctors can’t share patient information without the patient’s consent, so T.I. cajoles his daughter into giving it. 

‘So we’ll go and sit down and the doctor will come and talk and the doctor’s maintaining a high level of professionalism,’ T.I. explained. 

‘He’s like, “Well, you know sir, I have to, in order to share information” — I’m like, “Deyjah, they want you to sign this … so we can share information. Is there anything you would not want me to know?” “See doc? No problem.”‘ 

The doctor has even explained that there are many other ways for a hymen to break besides sex, and in fact, many virgins no longer have hymens intact — but T.I. doesn’t care. 

‘So then they come and say, “Well, I just want you to know that there are other ways besides sex that the hymen can be broken, like bike riding, athletics, horseback riding, and just other forms of athletic physical activity.” 

‘So I say, “Look doc, she don’t ride no horses, she don’t ride no bike, she don’t play no sports. Just check the hymen please and give me back my results expeditiously.”

‘I will say as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact,’ the rapper, whose own hits are filled with lyrics about sex, said. 

T.I. defended his actions, explaining that he thinks a lot of people wish their parents had been more protective of them, suggesting that his daughter will look back on her father’s behavior and be grateful that he was so involved. 

‘I think that most kids in hindsight, looking back, they always thank their parents for not allowing them to damage themselves as much as they could have,’ he said.  

‘I don’t want any of my children to have sex before it’s time for them, but who’s to say when it’s time?’ he said, adding he [feels] different about a boy than I will about a girl’

On TV: He and his family, including wife Tiny, have appeared on VH1 reality shows for years

But he went further, admitting he doesn’t want guys to take the time to woo his daughter even though she’s now an adult.

‘They’re no fun. Who wants a virgin?’ he asked. ‘Like, really? All that work.’  

The hosts of the podcast laughed hysterically throughout T.I.’s story, but also called Deyjah a ‘prisoner’ and told the rapper he was encouraging men to be ‘vultures.’ 

T.I. is not nearly as worried about the sexual activities of his 15-year-old son, King — who is already sexually active.

The teenager admitted in June 2019 episode of the family’s VH1 reality show that he is already doing the deed — and T.I., while clearly not totally thrilled, laughed it off.

‘I don’t want any of my children to have sex before it’s time for them, but who’s to say when it’s time?’ he said.

‘However, I will definitely feel different about a boy than I will about a girl. And that’s just the God’s honest truth. I don’t think there’s any father out there who’ll tell you any different.’