Gay Contestant Defends Blake Shelton

Voice contestant Nakia says that judge Blake Shelton, who recently apologized for an antigay tweet, is not homophobic, calling the country music singer a “good ol’ boy.”

Given the recent controversy, Zap2it interviewed Nakia, who is gay, and asked whether homophobia had anything to do with Shelton’s decision to keep country singer Patrick Thomas over pop singer Tyler Robinson, who is also gay.

"Trust me," said Nakia to Zap2it. "From the time I've spent with him, he's the furthest thing from a homophobe. He's so down to earth and he's so ready to party with anyone who has a bottle to drink. Trust me."

Nakia added that if he had to choose someone other than Cee Lo Green for his coach, he would pick Shelton. Shelton apologized for his tweet earlier this month.

"He's a good ol' boy," said the contestant. "He has great taste in music, and he has showed himself to be a real contender on the show for his team to win. So, I think I would go with Blake."