South Carolina releases statement, announces suspension for DJ after Flau’jae Johnson incident

The South Carolina athletic department issued a public apology to LSU star guard Flau’jae Johnson and announced a one-game suspension for the team DJ after they played a song from Johnson’s late father following the No. 2 Gamecocks’ 66-56 win over the No. 5 Tigers on Friday.

“We are addressing Friday night’s inappropriate in-game song selection and subsequent Instagram post by the DJ who is hired to work our women’s basketball games. Her actions were understandably upsetting to Flau’Jae Johnson and her family and disrespectful to the LSU program and fans,” South Carolina’s statement read. “Conference rivalries and passionate fan bases should only serve to enhance sports, not be used to target individual players personally. We regret that it came to that in our venue after a game that saw both teams capture the level of national attention that women’s basketball has earned, and we apologize to Flau’Jae, her family and LSU.

“As a result of her actions, DJ T.O. will be suspended for the next women’s basketball home game, and we will meet with her to provide further education on our expectations of her in the future.”

The South Carolina team DJ, known as DJ T.O, issued her own public apology to Flau’jae Johnson and her family on Saturday after playing the instrumental from “Cut Friends” from late rapper Camoflauge, the stage name of Jason Johnson, Flau’jae’s father, who was murdered by gunfire in 2003 in the family’s hometown of Savannah, Ga., before Flau’Jae was even born.

“I apologize for playing Cut Friends Instrumental at the game yesterday,” DJ T.O. wrote Saturday on social media. “It is never my intent to disrespect anyone or offend anyone when my job is to have fun and make sure other people have a good time. I’m from the Lowcountry/C-Port area so I’ve been playing it for years, even at other games, but I shouldn’t have played it at yesterday’s game.

“I play it on every radio station I’ve ever done from NC, GA, & SC & grew up on Camoflauge so it’s never played with ill intent or as a joke. I can’t control how anyone takes it but I can take responsibility & apologize.”

Following Friday’s game, Flau’jae Johnson took to social media herself to call out the perceived troll by the South Carolina DJ, describing it as “nasty behavior.”

“I’ll take my L on the chin, but this just nasty behavior,” she wrote. “Nun funny bout that.”

The Tigers guard, who is herself a rapper, has often talked about the influence that her father’s music has on her own passion for it. In fact, her name is even inspired by her father’s rap name.

LSU’s loss against South Carolina marked its first all season as Flau’jae Johnson finished with 13 points on just 6-of-18 shooting. So far this season, Flau’jae Johnson is averaging a career-high 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Chandler Vessells contributed to this report.