Snoop Dogg Says He Lashed Out at Gayle King to Protect Vanessa Bryant and Kobe's Family

Snoop Dogg is speaking out about why he publicly criticized Gayle King. In a preview of the upcoming episode of Facebook Watch's Red Table Talk, the 48-year-old rapper reveals what went into his decision to bash the journalist after she asked one of Kobe Bryant's friends about the 2003 sexual assault allegation against the late athlete.

Bryant, as well as with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a helicopter crash last month. A public memorial was held Monday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"I wanted to make sure what I said was said the right way and I wanted to make sure that the message was across. That we love Kobe and be respectful of Vanessa and those kids. That's what the whole intent was," Snoop says. "To protect that women and them babies over there, because she's still grieving. And let's give them that respect."

In an earlier clip from the episode, co-host Jada Pinkett Smith reveals her reaction to Snoop's comments.

"When you first came out and you said what you said, you know, in regards to Gayle, my heart dropped. I felt like not only were you talking to Gayle, but you were talking to me," Smith says. "I was like, 'Oh no, Snoop has now taken his power flow away from me, away from Willow, away from my mother... Not Snoop!' Right?"

Earlier this month, King faced backlash when a snippet of what she called her "wide-ranging interview" with Lisa Leslie was released without context. In the clip, King asked Leslie, a former pro basketball player and Bryant's friend, about the allegation against the late NBA player.

In response to that line of questioning, Snoop shared an expletive-filled video of himself disparaging King on Instagram, and threatening, "How dare you try to tarnish my motherf**king homeboy's reputation, punk motherf**ker. Respect the family and back off, b**ch, before we come get you."

After the backlash, a spokesperson for CBS News told ET: "Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview with Lisa Leslie about the legacy of Kobe Bryant. An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview.  We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made."

Meanwhile, King posted an Instagram video, explaining that she was "extremely angry" and "mortified" by the video, which she said was "totally taken out of context."

Following King's statement, Snoop apologized to the journalist on Instagram, noting that "two wrongs don't make no right."

In a statement to ET, King accepted Snoop's apology, saying in part, "[I] understand the raw emotions caused by this tragic loss. I’m deeply sorry that questions I asked added to that pain. That was never my intention." 

Amid the criticism, celebs and journalists showed support for King with the hashtag #IStandWithGayle. Additionally, Oprah Winfrey spoke out in support of King, confessing on the Today show that her longtime friend was "not doing well" and was receiving "death threats."

"I think anybody can criticize anything, but the misogynist vitriol and the attacking to the point of it is dangerous to be in the streets alone because it is not just the people who are attacking, it's the other people who take that message and feel like they can do whatever they want to because of it," Winfrey said, appearing to allude to Snoop's and others' comments about King.

Watch the video below for more on the controversy.

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