Kenny Chesney Defends Himself to Beyonce Fans Who 'Were So Quick to Judge'
The singer responded after fans said he was dissing Bey at the CMA Awards.
— -- Beyonce's fans went on the attack after Kenny Chesney appeared unhappy about her taking the stage with the Dixie Chicks at the CMA Awards Wednesday night.
But the country singer is crying foul.
In a statement released Friday, Chesney addressed the Beyhive, saying that he loves Beyonce and her music.
"I love Beyonce ... I loved her Super Bowl performance, her sense of how to make the music hit really hard -- and give it drama when she’s onstage," Chesney said in a statement obtained by ABC News. "The idea her fans were so quick to judge me, or know what I was thinking doesn’t feel like the woman I’ve always imagined Beyonce to be -- and honestly, the people who love her music, either."
Chesney added in his statement that he welcomed the singer's performance of her country song, "Daddy Lessons," despite the fact that she's not a traditional country artist.
"Daddy Lessons" is the Texas native's first country song from her latest album, "Lemonade."
"As someone who believes in the message of 'Spread the Love,' we try to find the best in people -- and in this case, that meant really watching the musicianship on that stage, as well as a guest in our format who’d written an incredible song," he continued. "I am amazed and saddened this is the response my respect for her art gets."
Chesney, 48, received the Country Music Association’s Pinnacle Award at the 50th Annual CMA Awards.