‘Beauty in Black’ Actor Xavier Smalls at Center of Growing Controversy for Calling LGBT People an Abomination
Xavier Smalls is getting a lot of attention right now, but not for his acting. The Beauty in Black actor is being criticized after an old video of him speaking about the LGBTQ+ community started spreading online again.
The video comes from an Instagram Live he did on February 7. It didn’t go viral right away, but weeks later, a screen recording began circulating. That clip, which has been shared and verified by viewers and picked up by entertainment outlets, is now the main source people are reacting to.
Beauty In Black 'actor', Xavier Smalls says God will not allow the gays into heaven:
— Red Media (@RedMedia_us) March 19, 2026
"Not because he [God] doesn't love you, but he's so holy he can't dwell with unholy people. And that
goes for other sinners…not just the LGBT…" pic.twitter.com/QYMW2XyRXf
In the video, Smalls talks about religion and his beliefs about heaven and hell. He tells viewers that he believes God loves everyone, but also says that certain lifestyles would lead to punishment after death.
At one point, he says, “But, he’ll send you to hell, because when you die, there’s only two places, right? And if you live in sin on this earth, he’s so holy, he’s so grand beyond our imagination, you can’t kick it with him in heaven.”
The situation got more serious when someone in the live stream asked him directly about LGBTQ+ people. His response is what many people are reacting to now. He grouped them together with other groups, which he called sinners.
He said, “That goes for other sinners. Scoffers, mockers, liars, all things that are an abomination. It’s not just the LGBT. If you’re drunk, if you’re an alcoholic, if you’re a murderer, these are all sins that God doesn’t tolerate.”
Many viewers were upset, especially because he compared LGBTQ+ people to criminals like murderers. That part of the video is being widely discussed online. What makes this more surprising to some fans is Smalls’ recent work.
He played Angel on the Tyler Perry series Beauty in Black, a show that has included LGBTQ+ figures in its cast and audience. Because of that, some viewers didn’t expect him to share these kinds of views.
This situation is not happening in isolation. The entertainment world has seen similar debates recently. For example, Kathie Lee Gifford made headlines after comments about the LGBTQ+ acronym during a talk with Tomi Lahren. These moments have added to ongoing conversations about representation and respect in the industry.
As of now, Smalls has not said much publicly since the video resurfaced. After finishing work on the latest season of Beauty in Black, he has stayed mostly out of the spotlight. Reports say he has been focusing on fitness modeling.
There has also been no official response yet from Netflix or Tyler Perry Studios about the situation or his future with the show. Beauty in Black is still doing well on the platform, and there are talks about possible spin-offs, but nothing has been confirmed.
Groups like GLAAD are also paying attention. They have already noted a drop in LGBTQ+ representation in some recent streaming shows, and situations like this are part of what they are watching closely.
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