Meek Mill is speaking out after catching heat over a photo from his recent trip to Dubai. The Philly rapper was seen posing with two women in what appeared to be an innocent fan pic, but social media quickly turned it into a firestorm. Critics began drawing connections to an unrelated controversy involving Shannon Sharpe, who is currently facing a $50 million lawsuit filed by a former girlfriend accusing him of rape and assault, claims Sharpe denies.

Even though Meek Mill has no involvement in Shannon Sharpe’s legal situation, some social media users criticized him for taking a photo with women who appeared to be white or white-passing. Comments online suggested the timing of the Dubai photo was questionable. Many pointed to the current controversy surrounding Shannon Sharpe as the reason for concern. Some users brought up Sharpe’s accuser’s lawyer and implied that people might twist the image to unfairly target Meek.

Meek didn’t stay silent. He jumped on Instagram to defend himself, questioning how the image ended up gaining so much traction. “Why they keep posting me on blogs with 2 fans…who makes the decisions of what Meek post to put on blogs? lol,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. He then commented directly under The Shade Room’s post: “It’s a regular pic with fans internet melting the minds of the black community wthelly.”

The photo backlash comes at a time when Shannon Sharpe is under heavy public scrutiny. Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for Sharpe’s accuser, recently shared an audio recording. In it, the former NFL star allegedly threatens to choke the woman. Buzbee claims the clip “provides a fair picture of the relationship shortly before the alleged assault.”

Though Meek’s situation is unrelated, the internet once again shows how quickly context can get distorted. Celebrities often find themselves caught in the crossfire of controversy that isn’t even their own.