These infamous celebrity apologies left a lot to be desired. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times celebs missed the mark while trying to make amends with fans.
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00:00If you're watching because you love me, thank you.
00:02If you're watching because you don't love me, welcome.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:08for the times celebs missed the mark while trying to make amends with fans.
00:12I intend to live my life so that I'm truly worthy of the term role model.
00:18Number 30, Colleen Ballinger.
00:20In 2023, YouTuber Colleen Ballinger, also known by her comedic alter ego Miranda Sings,
00:27posted an out-of-tune apology in which she responded to allegations about inappropriate
00:32behavior by singing and playing her ukulele.
00:45She tries to justify this exceptionally poorly thought-out decision by explaining that while
00:50her team advised her not to speak on the controversy, they never said not to sing about it.
00:55Sometimes things are just implied, Colleen, especially when you're being accused of
00:59inappropriate relationships with minors.
01:02From there, the comedian takes us on a ride aboard the gossip train,
01:06chugging down the tracks of misinformation.
01:08Other memorable lines include Ballinger assuring us she's not a groomer, just a loser.
01:13So I just wanted to say that um,
01:17the only thing I've ever groomed is my two Persian cats.
01:20I'm not a groomer, I'm just a loser.
01:23We have no comment.
01:25Sometimes people make mistakes simply because they made a mistake.
01:34Number 29, Kevin Hart.
01:36Kevin Hart was set to host the Oscars in 2019 until homophobic tweets almost a decade in
01:42the comedian's past resurfaced.
01:44At first, Hart refused to apologize, posting a video to Instagram saying, quote,
01:50I passed on the apology.
01:52I've addressed this several times.
01:54But a day later, Hart stepped down.
01:56I don't think that you should tolerate these things.
01:59No, right.
01:59And they don't shape or form.
02:00Right.
02:01Which is why the dope thing about me is there's 10 years of change.
02:07Yes.
02:07He posted an additional statement saying that he did not want to be a distraction from the
02:12ceremony and that he was sorry to the LGBTQIA plus community for his, quote, insensitive words.
02:19This was enough for some, including fellow comedian and controversial talk show host
02:23Ellen DeGeneres, who referred to those who criticized Hart online as, quote,
02:28haters, but not for everyone.
02:30Either my apology is accepted or it isn't.
02:34Either I can move forward or I can't.
02:38But you can't grow as a person without mistakes.
02:42Number 28, Misha Barton.
02:44Over the years, many have taken to social media to express their dismay at another unjust killing
02:50of a black American citizen by law enforcement.
02:52This is often well-intentioned and tasteful, but we're not sure what the O.C.
02:57star Misha Barton was thinking.
02:59So now everybody knows I'm like a pretty horrible driver.
03:01It's true, though.
03:01And do you aspire to be better?
03:04Well, I mean, yes and no.
03:07In 2016, the actor posted a bikini snap, drink in hand, on a yacht, which she captioned with
03:14a regretful message against racially motivated violence from police.
03:19Again, perhaps well-intentioned, but really?
03:22That picture?
03:23Quote, I'm human.
03:24I'm not perfect.
03:25And I'm sorry if my Instagram post went out of context.
03:28I didn't mean to offend anyone, she tweeted the next day.
03:32There's a time and place to serve, Misha.
03:34Do you have any idea what you were talking about?
03:36I think it was complete hallucination.
03:38I have no idea what I was talking about.
03:39Yeah.
03:40Number 27, Drew Barrymore.
03:42In 2023, Drew Barrymore, actor and host of The Drew Barrymore Show, controversially called
03:49for the recommencement of production of her talk show during an ongoing writer's strike.
03:53However, I'm also making the choice to come back for the first time in the strike for our show.
03:59After the decision was announced, protesters swarmed outside the CBS studio where the show
04:04was produced.
04:05Meanwhile, it was reported that audience members wearing WGA pins were ejected.
04:10All of this did not go over well online, and Barrymore soon posted an apology in tears,
04:16saying, quote, I deeply apologize to writers.
04:19I deeply apologize to unions.
04:22I deeply apologize to writers.
04:25I deeply apologize to unions.
04:27She admitted to thinking that because her show was able to launch during a pandemic,
04:31she figured a writer's strike was just another storm it could weather.
04:35I guess she forgot why weathering a storm without your crew is problematic.
04:39When things are so tough, it's hard to make decisions from that place.
04:46Number 26, Michael Richards.
04:49On Seinfeld, Jerry's wacky neighbor, Cosmo Kramer, never failed to make an entrance,
04:54or to make us laugh.
04:56But nobody was laughing when Michael Richards, who portrayed the character,
05:00went on a racist tirade during a stand-up set in 2006.
05:04When he appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, alongside Jerry himself to apologize,
05:10the audience was laughing.
05:11But unfortunately for Richards, it was at his expense.
05:15Said some pretty, uh, nasty things to some Afro-Americans.
05:20A lot of trash talk, and, uh...
05:24Stop laughing.
05:25That's funny.
05:26The comedian appeared extremely flustered, and at some moments,
05:30including when he used the term, quote,
05:32Afro-American, audience members couldn't help but giggle.
05:36Quote, I'm hearing your audience laugh, and I'm not even sure that this is where
05:40I should be addressing the situation, Richards told Letterman.
05:44We're inclined to agree.
05:45I know, I'm hearing your audience laugh, you know, and it's, it's, uh,
05:48I'm not even sure that this is, uh, where I should be, uh, addressing, uh, the situation.
05:57Number 25, Matt Lauer.
05:59In 2017, former Today Show anchor Matt Lauer was let go from the program
06:04due to allegations of sexual misconduct against his colleagues.
06:08The apology he issued afterward, read on air by Today anchor Savannah Guthrie,
06:13was less than ideal.
06:14The depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.
06:19Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized,
06:23but there is enough truth in these stories.
06:26In the statement, Lauer acknowledges wrongdoing
06:28while still attempting to dodge full responsibility for his actions.
06:32It's an all too recognizable tactic often deployed when powerful men
06:36are called out for their conduct.
06:38And it's something we saw often during the peak of the Me Too movement.
06:42The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws.
06:47It's been humbling.
06:48I am blessed to be surrounded by people I love.
06:51I thank them for their patience and grace.
06:53It all comes across as the words of someone who isn't truly sorry,
06:57just sorry they were caught.
06:59Matt Lauer can suck it by Dr. Rick Marshall.
07:02I was so surprised that your attorney signed off on that.
07:05I was like, are you sure?
07:06Is this gonna be okay?
07:07He said, yeah, go for it.
07:10Number 24.
07:12Gene Simmons.
07:13In his quote, he is said to have called Prince's drug use, quote, a personal choice.
07:19Gene apologized last night on Twitter.
07:21KISS member Gene Simmons apologized in 2016
07:24after saying that the recently deceased musician Prince's death was, quote,
07:29a choice because he was allegedly struggling with substance use disorder.
07:33On Twitter, the rocker apologized but admitted he was only doing so
07:37due to the crap he was getting from his family for running his mouth.
07:41Quote, I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families
07:46and friends of the addicts.
07:47I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them
07:51coming up in the rock scene, he explained.
07:54I just got such a shit from my family for my big mouth again.
07:57I apologize.
07:58The apology course corrects when Simmons admits he was in the wrong,
08:02but veers in the wrong direction when he goes on a tangent about the media and clickbait.
08:07Number 23.
08:08Lana Del Rey.
08:10Singer Lana Del Rey caught flack in 2020 when she made a bizarre post to Instagram
08:14in which she called out a string of artists, most of whom were women of color.
08:18The names included Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj,
08:23Beyonce, and Ariana Grande.
08:26The post, which Del Rey frames as a question to the culture,
08:29calls out how these artists allegedly sing about wearing no clothes,
08:33whereas she is, quote, crucified for being, quote, delicate.
08:37Many people thought she was erasing the struggles of these Black artists
08:40and also corrected her saying she's not the only one who faces criticism from the public.
08:45The first sentence of her non-apology follow-up post tells us everything we need to know.
08:50Quote, a couple of final notes on my controversial post.
08:54That's not controversial at all, it begins.
08:57She then doubled down on the sorry, not sorry attitude in a video full of self-promo.
09:02I didn't add one Caucasian, 100% Caucasian person into the mix of the women that I admire,
09:08but, uh, you know, it really says more about you than it does about me.
09:14Number 22. Travis Scott
09:17In November 2021, rapper Travis Scott held the third and last
09:22Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas.
09:25Tragedy struck at Scott's set when an extreme crowd rush in a sea of over 100,000
09:31resulted in the deaths of 10 people, with even more injured.
09:35He responded with a black and white apology video posted to his Instagram story,
09:40which received skeptical responses from certain online commenters, with many calling it fake.
09:46Help us figure this out. So if you, if you have any information,
09:51um, you know, please just contact your local authorities.
09:54Some people even pointed to previously deleted tweets from the artist's account
09:59that showed he promoted, quote, letting in crowds that exceed capacity.
10:03The controversy doesn't seem to have impacted La Flame, who still sells enormous numbers.
10:09However, we'd still like to see him respond more sincerely, even through his music.
10:14Um, I want to continue, I want people to continue praying for the ones, the fans that was lost.
10:18Number 21. Harvey Weinstein
10:21When, along with Bill Cosby, you've essentially become the face of sexual assault,
10:26there's probably not going to be an apology that's going to win you much favor in the eyes
10:30of the public. So with the precondition that we expected absolutely nothing from a Weinstein
10:35apology in the first place, it still stands as a textbook example of how not to take
10:40accountability properly. Issued a response to the New York
10:43Times article saying he was raised in an earlier time when the rules and behavior about workplaces
10:48were different. He followed that with an apology saying that he had quote, a long way to go.
10:54How can you claim to mean every word of your apology while denying your behavior,
10:59offering excuses and suing the New York Times for false and defamatory statements
11:04you say are based on hearsay? Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has issued
11:09an apology that kind of insinuates that he should get less of a backlash for some of his actions
11:16due to his liberalism. Number 20. Jimmy Fallon
11:20Host of the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon came under fire in September, 2023,
11:25following a bombshell article by Rolling Stone. Behind the scenes, which had been exposed in an
11:31explosive article about the SNL alum. Some are asking, will these latest
11:35allegations lead to Fallon getting canceled? The piece detailed allegations of a toxic
11:40work environment by both former and current employees.
11:44Fallon's on-air likable persona is a facade. Shortly after, Fallon held a Zoom call with
11:51staffers to extend an apology. He claimed that host Jimmy Fallon has created a toxic workplace.
11:58The comedian reportedly stated that he was embarrassed by the report and conveyed his
12:02regret if he had embarrassed them too. I feel so bad, I can't even tell you.
12:07I want this show to be fun. It should be inclusive for everybody.
12:11However, this plea was widely criticized online for its perceived lack of accountability,
12:17with one commenter noting that it sounded like, quote,
12:20it was spoken by a toddler. Others took issue with the apology being made virtually and not
12:26in person, suggesting that he only said sorry because he was publicly called out.
12:32Number 19. Shia LaBeouf
12:35For many celebrities, a public apology is a necessary step to make a PR nightmare disappear.
12:41But in the case of controversial actor Shia LaBeouf, it only made his problems worse.
12:46But LaBeouf's new short film went live online Monday, and now
12:50the actor is facing allegations of plagiarism.
12:53LaBeouf released a short film in 2012 titled HowardCanter.com, which initially received
12:59critical acclaim. However, it soon emerged that he had extensively plagiarized material
13:05from Dan Clow's comic, Justin M. Damiano. In response, the actor issued an apology on
13:11social media, only for fans to discover that he had copied those words from a Yahoo Answers post.
13:18This led to a barrage of plagiarized apologies, each more cringeworthy than the last.
13:23The actor first said that he, quote,
13:25got lost in the creative process, and that was his reason for not crediting
13:29this author for inspiring his film.
13:31Needless to say, LaBeouf's attempts at saying sorry contained a 404 error, sincerity not found.
13:38He put this over Hollywood. Mr. Clow's, he lives up in the San Francisco Bay Area.
13:43Number 18. DaBaby
13:45Hip-hop artist DaBaby was a star on the rise, with multiple chart-topping albums
13:51and Grammy nominations. Then came the 2021 Rolling Loud Festival. During his set at the
14:00Miami show, DaBaby unleashed a series of offensive remarks about gay men and people living with HIV.
14:06Like Madonna, Questlove, Demi Lovato, and Elton John,
14:11longtime advocate for HIV and AIDS prevention, calling out the misinformation.
14:16Instead of issuing a genuine apology right away, the rapper doubled down on his stance and attacked
14:22those who called him out. Then, after being dropped from multiple music festivals and
14:27losing business deals, his tune began to change.
14:30Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity
14:35to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes.
14:38DaBaby eventually took to Instagram to apologize to the LGBTQ plus community,
14:43but not before taking his critics to task. Unfortunately, his statement came across as
14:49insincere, and hardly anyone was persuaded by it.
14:53Number 17. Mel Gibson
14:56Mel Gibson has been dogged by allegations of anti-Semitism
14:59since the release of his 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ.
15:05Those claims would resurface two years later, after Gibson was arrested by an LA County Sheriff's
15:13deputy for driving under the influence. The arrest report, which was leaked by TMZ,
15:19revealed that the actor and filmmaker had allegedly uttered several anti-Semitic remarks
15:24at the deputy. Gibson first published a statement following the leak, which failed to directly
15:29address the incident, only describing his remarks as, quote, despicable.
15:34The devout Catholic wrote, I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith,
15:39and asked the Jewish community to help in his journey through recovery.
15:43This response did little to quell the controversy,
15:46leading to a much more heartfelt apology a few days later.
15:49However, by this time, many deemed it a day late and a dollar short.
15:54Number 16. Chrissy Teigen
15:56TV personality Courtney Stodden rose to fame in 2011 after their marriage to actor Doug Hutchison
16:03as a teenager. In 2021, Stodden disclosed that during that period, they were repeatedly
16:10harassed by Chrissy Teigen, who allegedly went as far as urging them to take their own life.
16:16Courtney Stodden, my Friday fantasy, you dirt nap, mmm baby.
16:20This revelation prompted significant backlash against Teigen, resulting in the termination
16:26of multiple business partnerships. In response, Teigen publicly apologized to Stodden,
16:31claiming to have reached out to them in private.
16:33Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bulls**t.
16:38Although they accepted the apology, Stodden remained skeptical of its sincerity,
16:43believing it was only induced by the loss of her business deals.
16:46Forgiveness, right, starts with ourselves, but it's so damaging.
16:49Stodden also stated that they remained blocked by Teigen and hadn't been contacted by her.
16:55Number 15. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
16:59Hollywood couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis both rose to prominence on the Fox sitcom
17:04That 70s Show. In May of 2023, their former co-star Danny Masterson was convicted of
17:11sexually assaulting two women. Before his sentencing, Kutcher and Kunis wrote letters
17:16of support to the judge, lauding Masterson as a quote, role model and quote, exceptional
17:22individual. These letters eventually became public and sparked outrage among fans.
17:28And the consensus then is that that video didn't help.
17:31Shortly after, the couple released a videotaped apology,
17:35which only exacerbated the backlash as it was deemed performative and insincere.
17:41They were intended for the judge to read, and we're sorry.
17:43The criticism was particularly directed at Kutcher,
17:46seeing as he co-founded an NGO to combat human trafficking. In the face of mounting pressure,
17:52Kutcher relinquished his role on the board of the NGO.
17:5614. Alec Baldwin
17:58Rendering public apologies seemingly became just another part of the job at one point
18:04in Alec Baldwin's career. Perhaps the most infamous one came in 2007, after the 30 Rock
18:10actor left a voicemail in which he yelled insults at his daughter Ireland for missing a scheduled
18:15call.
18:22Certainly not the most appropriate parental behavior. But when Baldwin was rightfully
18:27called out after the tapes leaked, he failed to acknowledge responsibility for his words.
18:32My deep, deep, deep and seemingly endless frustration about this situation,
18:38which is complicated, led me to end up saying something to someone that I really meant to say
18:45to someone else. Instead blaming them on the custody dispute with his ex-wife, Kim Basinger.
18:51Even more, he seemed to echo these same sentiments when he appeared on The View afterwards.
18:56More than a decade later,
18:58Ireland got her opportunity to fire back at Baldwin's 2019 Comedy Central roast.
19:0713. Lea Michele
19:09Lea Michele garnered praise and an Emmy nomination for her role as Rachel Berry on Glee.
19:15But behind the scenes, it seems her behavior wasn't exactly award-worthy.
19:19LMAO, remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?
19:24In June 2020, actress Samantha Marie Ware accused Michele of subjecting her to, quote,
19:31traumatic microaggressions and other toxic behaviors on set. These claims were supported
19:37by other actors who appeared on the show.
19:39Lea treated me so subhuman, I left the set of Glee. With that said,
19:43was she unpleasant to work with? Very much so.
19:46Michele responded with a lengthy apology on Instagram, where she suggested that it was
19:51her privileged position that caused her to be, quote, perceived as insensitive or inappropriate
19:56at times.
19:57What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people,
20:01whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived
20:05as insensitive.
20:06Many took issue with Michele's use of the word perceived, which appeared to shift responsibility
20:12for her actions, as well as her failure to apologize directly to Ware.
20:16Number 12, Will Smith.
20:18Do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse.
20:25The 2022 Oscars will always be remembered, not necessarily for the history-making awards,
20:31but for a slap.
20:34Oh, wow! Wow!
20:37During the ceremony, Chris Rock made an insensitive joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith,
20:42prompting her husband Will Smith to walk up and smack him in the face.
20:46Will Smith is offering a public apology to Chris Rock.
20:50Smith seemed to realize the weight of his actions quickly,
20:53and apologized when he received the Best Actor award less than an hour later.
20:58I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.
21:03In his speech, Smith offered a plea to just about everyone who witnessed the incident,
21:09except the one person on the receiving end, Chris Rock.
21:13After being criticized heavily for this, he issued a direct apology on social media,
21:18acknowledging his behavior as quote, unacceptable and inexcusable.
21:23Number 11, Paula Deen.
21:25This popular Southern chef found herself in boiling water when a former employee of hers
21:30detailed allegations of a hostile work environment and racial discrimination.
21:35More fallout after her admission that she used racial slurs in the past.
21:39In a subsequent deposition, Deen admitted that she had used derogatory slurs in the past.
21:44Have you ever used the n-word yourself? To which she replies, yes, of course.
21:48This revelation brought with it heavy backlash and multiple financial repercussions,
21:53including a dismissal from her home channel, The Food Network.
21:57So how did Deen respond?
21:58Well, she first released a series of bizarre YouTube apology videos
22:02that didn't seem to do her any favors.
22:05But then she appeared on the Today Show,
22:07where she essentially pushed the blame onto everyone else but herself.
22:11There's anyone out there that has never said something that they wish they could take back.
22:22Overall, Deen's attempts at apologizing left a bad taste in the public's mouth.
22:2710. Justin Timberlake
22:30The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show is a piece of television history.
22:33Quick recap, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were performing the halftime show when Timberlake
22:38accidentally exposed Jackson's breast in an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.
22:43Although the incident was a freak accident, that didn't stop the outrage from pouring in.
22:48Jackson was essentially blacklisted, and Timberlake, who faced comparatively less backlash,
22:54did barely anything to defend her.
22:56His apology at that year's Grammy Awards was almost worse than silence.
23:11Timberlake's remorseful words consisted of nothing more than the classic,
23:15I apologize if you guys were offended line. No, literally, that's exactly what he said.
23:269. Bryan Adams
23:29The COVID pandemic and resulting lockdowns put a lot of plans on indefinite hold.
23:34It was certainly frustrating, and because of that, some people were prone to public venting.
23:39Bryan Adams was one of those people. He was scheduled to perform at London's Royal Albert
23:44Hall in May 2020, but the concerts were cancelled on account of COVID.
23:48Adams vented on Instagram with a series of misinformed and xenophobic comments.
23:53His rant faced some backlash for perpetuating hateful and unverified rumors about the virus.
23:59It unleashed a firestorm on social media and accusations of racism,
24:05especially from the Chinese community.
24:07Adams apologized to those who took offense and went on to explain that he wanted to
24:11highlight animal mistreatment in certain markets as a possible source of the virus.
24:17Adams walked it back, saying in a sort of half-apology he was
24:21actually criticizing animal cruelty, and if you were offended,
24:25he's sorry. If you weren't, I'm not sorry. So it was those kind of apologies.
24:298. Hannah Brown
24:30Trying to be strong, trying to keep my faith, and I'm trying to
24:35rely on the thing that's far greater than me.
24:37Serving as a contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor and the lead on season 15 of The
24:42Bachelorette, Hannah Brown has many fans who watch her Instagram live feeds.
24:47In one particular feed that took place in May of 2020,
24:50Brown mindlessly said an offensive word while singing along to DaBaby's Rockstar.
25:00When Brown was called out by fans and the media,
25:03she jokingly dismissed the incident and even claimed that she didn't say it.
25:07I don't think that you said that.
25:10I don't think, maybe it was Patrick.
25:14The event ticked some people off, including the first African-American Bachelorette,
25:18Rachel Lindsay.
25:19It's wrong. You wouldn't say it on TV. You wouldn't say it on the radio. You
25:23wouldn't say it in front of your black friend. And if the reason that you wouldn't say that
25:28is because you feel uncomfortable, then maybe you shouldn't say it in private
25:31around your other friends either. Maybe you shouldn't sing along with it to a song.
25:35Brown apologized through a written statement on Instagram stories.
25:38However, that statement also caused some offense.
25:41Brown's fellow Bachelor Nation member, Nick Vial, called her remarks, quote,
25:45a really, really terrible apology that doesn't read as sincere.
25:50So much so that Brown subsequently issued a second apology.
25:54What I did was something extremely serious and I did not want to continue
26:00repeating this long history of white people not taking
26:04accountability and responsibility for their actions when people of color,
26:08black people, call them out on their behavior. And that is just not something
26:12that I wanted to be a part of.
26:13Number seven, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
26:16The controversial relationship between Depp and Heard has been the focus of a lot of drama.
26:21While the news surrounding their court proceedings throughout 2020 was certainly grim,
26:26they faced a considerable amount of backlash in 2016 when they smuggled dogs into Australia.
26:32In May, Heard and hubby, Johnny Depp, traveled to Queensland on a private jet
26:37for Depp to film his latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Their pups, Pistol and Boo,
26:42did not go through customs and did not undergo the country's required 10-day quarantine.
26:47Heard admitted to creating a fake customs document in order to transport their Yorkshire
26:52Terriers into the country. She did so in blatant ignorance of Australia's biosecurity laws,
26:58which could have sent Heard to prison for 10 years.
27:01Heard was instead given a one-month good behavior bond.
27:04The subsequent apology video was widely mocked and considered insincere.
27:08I'm truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared. Protecting Australia is important.
27:15Declare everything when you enter Australia.
27:17Even Australia's deputy prime minister criticized the apology,
27:21saying he didn't think it's something they would have willingly wanted to do.
27:24Even I could have done a little bit better than that. Do it again,
27:28Johnny. Do it with gusto, mate. Bit of gusto.
27:30Number 6. Mario Batali
27:32Celebrity chef Mario Batali is known for his numerous restaurants around the world
27:37and repeated appearances on various Food Network programs.
27:40In December 2017, Batali was accused of misconduct by a number of women.
27:45Batali was a very powerful, influential man. And a lot of these women are alleging that he
27:50had a habit for retaliating.
27:51He lost various business partnerships and was fired from the ABC program The Chew.
27:56Batali offered an excuse through an email newsletter, saying,
27:59My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility.
28:05At least he owned up to it.
28:06Wait, what's this about cinnamon rolls?
28:08For some reason, Batali decided to add a postscript,
28:12in which he linked a recipe to pizza dough cinnamon rolls.
28:15His extremely tone-deaf decision to include a recipe to this apology was widely mocked.
28:20It's just, and then a picture of them.
28:22Yeah, so this was...
28:24I know you guys, we popped it up earlier. This is just a closer look at it.
28:27Number 5. Chris Brown
28:29While his career has seen somewhat of a comeback recently,
28:32Chris Brown's reputation was severely tarnished after he was convicted of felony assault of Rihanna
28:37in 2009. A few hours after the incident, Brown later turned himself into the police.
28:43He cancelled imminent public appearances while the media stopped playing his music
28:47and showing productions that he was in.
28:49While awaiting sentencing, Brown issued a public apology in the months that followed
28:53through a two-minute video that was posted online.
28:56I thought it was time that you heard directly from me that I am sorry.
28:59I have tried to live my life in a way which can make those around me proud of me.
29:03And until recently, I think I was doing a pretty good job.
29:06The apology was heavily criticized, while his public image tanked.
29:10In the years after his criminal act, he still faced considerable backlash and criticism.
29:15I was wrong for what I did. And I would definitely say that it's not
29:21something that I look past or look over. It's something that's really, really touchy.
29:25Number 4. Louis C.K.
29:27How you doing?
29:28Okay. Good.
29:30Louis C.K. was arguably one of the most beloved comedians of his time.
29:34He earned enormous popularity and widespread critical acclaim for his stand-up comedy
29:38and surreal FX comedy drama, Louis.
29:41However, everything changed when misconduct allegations emerged against him in 2017.
29:46Five women all sharing similar stories not verified by NBC News.
29:51After claims emerged from multiple women,
29:54Louis admitted to his actions in a public statement by simply saying,
29:57these stories are true.
29:59I have been remorseful of my actions and I've tried to learn from them and run from them.
30:04Now I'm aware of the extent of the impact of my action.
30:08However, his subsequent apology was peppered with inappropriately graphic language.
30:13Louis also made bafflingly tone-deaf statements like,
30:16I said to myself that what I did was okay. The apology didn't seem to help much.
30:21Not only did he lose favor in the public eye, but he's also estimated to have lost
30:25$35 million in potential income after the allegations emerged.
30:29Louis C.K. wrote,
30:30There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for.
30:34Adding, I will now step back and take a long time to listen.
30:37Number three, Ellen DeGeneres.
30:39So consider me your professor. This is like kindness 101.
30:43So pay attention. This is on the midterm.
30:45Throughout the summer of 2020, Ellen DeGeneres faced some significant backlash when she was
30:49publicly called out for allegedly creating, or at least allowing for,
30:53a toxic workplace to exist behind the scenes.
30:56Staff was reportedly on the receiving end of racist comments and various aggressive behavior.
31:01An investigation ensued while Ellen apologized to staff in a letter.
31:05On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting
31:08that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness. Obviously, something changed,
31:13and I'm disappointed to learn that this has not been the case, and for that, I'm sorry.
31:18Ellen then tried to bury the hatchet for good by addressing the accusations in her show's
31:22season 18 premiere. During her statement, DeGeneres made jokes,
31:26and we heard a virtual audience laugh and applaud.
31:29Let me give you some advice out there. If anybody's thinking of changing their title
31:32or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the Be Kind Lady. Don't do it.
31:37Hearing crowd noise during this supposedly serious moment made her apology seem disingenuous.
31:42But fortunately, or unfortunately in her case, the monologue wasn't well watched.
31:47The season premiere ratings were down 38% compared to the previous year.
31:52So my hope is that we can still be a place of happiness and joy. I still want to be the one
31:56hour a day that people can go to escape and laugh. I want to continue to help all the people that we
32:01help every day, and I'm committed to making this the best season that we have ever had.
32:13Number 2. Logan Paul
32:15On December 31, 2017, Logan Paul uploaded a video where he toured Japan's Aokigahara Forest.
32:22The site sadly became infamous because of all the people who have taken their own lives there.
32:26During this video, Paul included an image of one of those people that he saw for himself.
32:31His reaction to the person and the fact that he even uploaded the video in the first place were
32:35both largely criticized. This was also an especially bad move considering Paul's young
32:40audience. He issued various apologies in the aftermath.
32:44I should have put the cameras down and stopped recording what we were going through.
32:50There's a lot of things I should have done differently, but I didn't.
32:53And for that, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.
32:57In one apology, he excused his heartless behavior as a coping mechanism. He also claimed that he
33:03uploaded the video not to get views, but to raise awareness. But we doubt many people believe that.
33:09I don't expect to be forgiven. I'm just here to apologize.
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33:291. Kevin Spacey
33:36Few celebrities have been cancelled as hard as Kevin Spacey was.
33:40This man went from one of the most beloved actors in movie history to a disgraced has-been
33:45due to a slew of accusations. In one claim, actor Anthony Rapp reported that when he was a teenager,
33:51an adult Spacey behaved inappropriately towards him. In the wake of these claims,
33:55Spacey unleashed what may be the most confusing and horrendous apology known to humankind.
34:01He claimed not to remember what happened, blamed intoxication for his behavior, and came out as gay.
34:07That statement drawing fire, many saying addressing his sexuality was a tactic he was using.
34:12The apology was fiercely criticized for being tone-deaf and for its feeble attempt to distract
34:17attention from his alleged crimes with his sexuality. Though he was ultimately cleared
34:21on all counts in 2023, there's no denying his baffling attempt to make amends completely ruined
34:27Spacey's reputation. The fact that he responded the way he did and also conflating it with him
34:35coming out as gay has really only made this scandal worse. If you think we missed a celebrity
34:41apology that should be on this list, we're sorry. And you should let us know in the comments.
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