Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has apologized to a man named Tupac Shakur after he made fun of his unemployment claim, mistakenly believing it to have been a prank.
In a press conference on Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said someone in the state had filed for unemployment under the name Tupac Shakur. He then called the person out for “using somebody else’s identity.”
Beshear added: “And that person probably felt they were being funny, they probably did. Except for the fact that, because of them, we’ve got to go through so many other claims.”
That’s “not okay,” the governor continued. “Can’t be doing that.”
One day later, Beshear apologized after finding out there is really a Kentucky man named Tupac Shakur, the same name as the late rapper who was shot dead on a Las Vegas street in 1996.
“I talked to him on the phone today. I apologized,” Beshear said. “I told him how it happened. But it’s my fault. He was gracious. I said I’m sorry if I embarrassed him or caused him any attention he didn’t want. He ended the call ‘God bless.'”
The governor said the state is now going to make sure that the unemployment claim made by Shakur, who goes by Malik, is resolved.
Unemployment claims have surged as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as closed businesses led to many people out of work.
