2Pac’s Father Claims to Have Been Blindsided by ‘Dear Mama’ Docuseries
Despite receiving largely positive reviews from viewers on social media, not everyone is happy with Allen Hughes’s docuseries Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur.
In a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue over the weekend, 2Pac’s biological father, Billy Garland, seemingly admitted to being blindsided by the five-part documentary series that premiered on FX and Hulu in April. The show shed light on Afeni Shakur’s significant impact on her famous son, despite her efforts to lessen it.
The former Black Panther Party member told the publication he had initially declined to speak with Hughes but was ultimately persuaded. However, he denied knowing the footage from the roughly two-hour sit-down would be used in his project. “He didn’t tell me too much of anything except that is was about 2Pac,” he said.
“After I saw the interview in the documentary, I was slightly disappointed, let’s just say that. I didn’t like it,” he explained. Garland claimed their conversation “was more about something else than about 2Pac, if you know what I’m saying,” before stating, “If I knew it was about ‘Dear Mama,’ I might’ve still did it, but I probably wouldn’t have. Not for nothing.”
Garland also took issue with Hughes asking whether he believed his son was bipolar. “I resented that,” he said before arguing that 2Pac was just reacting to “betrayal” throughout his life.
Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur earned a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its debut. The docuseries is currently streaming on Hulu.
