‘Black Ink Crew’ Star Ceaser Emanuel Says Dog Abuse Video Was Taken Out of Context: ‘That’s Not Me’

After getting fired from VH1’s Black Ink Crew, Ceaser Emanuel says he was “set up” by someone who leaked the viral dog abuse video that led to his ousting.

Emanuel spoke to a TMZ camera crew on Thursday night in New York City, and insisted the video that shows him striking his dog with a folding chair has been taken out of context.

According to Emanuel, he wasn’t abusing his dogs but was instead “breaking up a fight” between them and trying to protect himself.

“I know the footage that everybody seen, it looks crazy,” he said. “Even me looking at it, it looks crazy. But it’s a moment in time I wish I could take back. I came home, my dogs is attacking each other. And I don’t mean the regular, just play fighting. I mean like they was going for each other’s necks. They was trying to kill each other.”

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He added that he just wanted to scare the dogs.

“I separated the dogs. Now, one of the dogs attacked me. What I did was open the garage door, try to deescalate it,” he said. “But I was nervous. I’m not gonna tell you no lie. I was nervous and I was scared. So, at the end of the day, I was trying to back the dog down. I was honestly trying to scare him. At not one time was I trying to abuse this dog. All I was trying to do was get him back in his cage.”

He insisted the incident was out of character.

“I’m not gonna make no excuses for myself. I should have behaved better, but that’s not me being cruel to animals or anything like that.” he said.

Emanuel confirmed the video was recorded by a Ring camera at his home, and said he was “set up” by the person who leaked it.

“I don’t know how the footage got leaked,” he said. “I know that was off my Ring camera … I feel like I’m being set up in some way because the way I’m being portrayed, that’s not my character.”

After the video went viral, VH1 released a statement on Thursday, June 23 saying Ceasar had been fired from his show.

“We have made the decision to cut ties with Ceaser Emanuel from Black Ink Crew New York,” the network said. “Since next season was close to finishing production, this decision will not impact the upcoming season.”

Black Ink Crew focuses on Emanuel’s Harlem-based Black Ink tattoo shop and its eclectic staff. Emanuel rose to fame when the series premiered in 2013.

After the animal abuse incident, he says he has given one of the dogs away and the other is getting obedience training.