I'm a black man and that situation was blown out of proportion. While I don't think anyone should use the word, you have to put it in context. A lot of people of all races (in this younger generation especially) use the word now very casually. Similar to saying buddy or homie. He was with his black friends, who obviously were not offended because they refer to him in the same manner. It was used with an (a) at the end,
not a (hard r). This was being said in a non-derogatory manner with his friends and it was caught by someone's home security camera or something. If he wasn't a celebrity, no one would have cared. That's just my 2 cents whether people agree with it or not.