Christian Chávez found himself at the center of controversy over a special pink charro-inspired outfit he wore on stage over the weekend at RBD’s show in New York City, and now he’s speaking out. 

At the group’s second New York concert (Sep. 1), Chávez surprised fans when he walked out onto the Madison Square Garden stage for his solo segment of the concert donning a pink charro-inspired outfit to perform “Tu Amor.” The singer also sported a matching sombrero, a rainbow bedazzled microphone, and gold sneakers to complete the look while a mariachi dressed in the traditional garb accompanied him. 

The tender moment was met with lots of enthusiasm from the sold-out crowd. However, not all the online commentary reciprocated the love felt at The Garden that night. Luisa Echeverría, the queen of the Mexican Federation of Charrería, voiced her disapproval of Chávez’s pink charro-esque attire on social media. 

“I am writing to you @christianchavezreal, with all the respect and admiration I have for you and your bandmates as a group of successful Mexicans that have transcended borders in the name of Mexico,” wrote Echeverría on Instagram. “With this same respect, I invite you to wear our clothing, that of the charros, conforming to our canons and to allow us to be recognized in the world through your art and for the elegance of our wardrobe.”

Others were quick to jump to Chávez’s defense, including one fan who pointed out the hypocrisy for those upset that the charro-inspired fit was pink. “Is it clear that they are already crying because Christian Chávez wore a pink Mexican suit?” wrote one fan. “Huh? Green, yellow, and red are fine, but pink isn’t?” he said in reference to Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro Fernandez, and Juan Gabriel donning different colored suits.

In response to the online backlash, Chávez issued a video statement on his Instagram Stories in hopes of clarifying any misunderstandings. “I want to clarify that this is not a charro suit. I am not a charro; it’s simply an expression of Mexicanness,” he said in the video. “It’s a show; I’m not participating in a charro competition. I have a lot of respect for that community, and if anyone felt offended, I’m sorry, but that was never my intention.”

Chávez, who was outed and blacklisted at the peak of RBD’s success, told Remezcla before the tour began that he was looking forward to finally being his most authentic self on stage for the first time with the group. “To be on stage again, being myself, without any restraint? It’s going to be something really incredible,” he said at the time.

RBD kicked off their Soy Rebelde Tour on Aug. 24 at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, TX. The tour reunites bandmates Anahí, Dulce María, Christian Chávez, Maite Perroni, and Christopher von Uckermann for the first time in 15 years. Bandmate Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera opted not to return for the world tour but sent his regards. The tour will play a mix of stadiums and arenas in the U.S. and Latin America through Dec. 21, with their final performance being held at Mexico City’s legendary Estadio Azteca.