BET has announced that the 2025 BET Awards will continue at the Peacock Theater on Monday night, despite the ongoing protests in Los Angeles. The event organizers confirmed the news in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter.
"BET remains committed to the safety of our guests and staff," the statement reads. "We are working closely with LAPD and monitoring the situation. The 2025 BET Awards will take place Monday, June 9th, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT as scheduled."
Kevin Hart will be serving as the host for show with Lil Wayne, Playboi Carti, Leon Thomas, Keyshia Cole and Glorilla appearing as musical guests. This year's ceremony will be in commemoration of the event's 25th anniversary.
LA Protests Update
As for the protests, they've resulted in chaotic scenes in Los Angeles. Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets over the weekend to protest federal authorities' recent arrests of immigrants in the city. Attendees set fire to self-driving cars as law enforcement officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bangs to combat them. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said authorities made dozens of arrests over the weekend, according to CBS News.
In response to the protests, President Donald Trump escalated tensions by deploying the National Guard. "Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!" he wrote on Truth Social. Gov. Gavin Newsom responded by announcing a lawsuit against Trump. "Donald Trump is putting fuel on this fire. Commandeering a state's National Guard without consulting the Governor of that state is illegal and immoral," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. "California will be taking him to court."
On Monday afternoon, Donald Trump remarked, “We’ll see what happens," to reporters at the White House when asked about sending even more troops into the city, according to CNN. He added: “I mean, I think we have it very well under control — I think it would have been a very bad situation, it was heading in the wrong direction, it’s now heading in the right direction."
