Chris Brown - Bet Boss Defends Brown

A BET Awards official has defended CHRIS BROWN's controversial performance at the ceremony - insisting the star's onstage tears were not "fake".

The Kiss Kiss hitmaker, who has struggled to make a comeback since his infamous fight with Rihanna last year (09), hit headlines with his Michael Jackson tribute at last Sunday's (27Jun10) show in Los Angeles.

Brown danced to the King of Pop's hits but faltered during his rendition of Man in the Mirror as tears streamed down his face.

Subsequent online gossip accused the singer of faking the moment to win over the crowd, but Stephen Hill, BET's Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Music Programming, is adamant the speculation is untrue.

He tells Allhiphop.com, "I think the pressure of the year and the lyrics of that song really just resonated (with Brown). And, as someone who was backstage, there was nothing fake about that. I think there is a... story today about like his bodyguard gave him (sic) something to induce tears. It's just not true. I've been around actors who cry and when you fake cry, you don't get... your throat doesn't get swollen like it does (when you cry for real).

"When he was trying to sing, he couldn't get anything out. That's a hard thing to fake. I appreciate people wanting to create controversy, but this guy has gone though a lot this past year, let this emotion be what it is. Everybody comes to the moment where you gotta make that change."

A representative for Brown has also slammed the rumours as "completely untrue."