CMAs denies charges it scrubbed Beyoncé from its website after racist backlash

The Country Music Association Thursday denied charges that it removed mentions of Beyoncé from the CMA Awards website after an onslaught of racist social media comments.

TMZ reported that CMAs originally posted a video from the award show featuring a duet between Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks—then deleted it. Per TMZ:

”We're told the honchos were especially concerned about the reaction to Beyoncé's support and the support of the Dixie Chicks for the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Following the performance Tuesday, CMA social media posts featuring Beyonce were hijacked by racists posting derogatory and inflammatory messages. According to the gossip site, the incident factored into the decision to scrub Beyonce from the website.

In a statement to Us Weekly, the CMAs denied TMZ’s reporting, insisting the association “has not erased any mentions of Beyoncé’s performance on the CMA Awards.

"In advance of the broadcast, CMA removed a five-second promotional clip from ABC.com and CMA’s Facebook page,” the statement reads. “The promo was unapproved and CMA removed it prior to the broadcast. Beyoncé’s performance with Dixie Chicks was a highlight of the evening and we are continuing to share the amazing full-length performance clip via our official social channels."