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Ariana Grande Bishop Shares Apology After 'Inappropriate Touching'
1 September 2018, 11:53
Ariana Grande was defended by social media users after she appeared to be touched inappropriately during Aretha Franklin's funeral.
After Ariana Grande took to the stage at Aretha Franklin's funeral to perform a tribute to the late Soul music star, footage appeared to show Bishop Charles H. Ellis III touching the star inappropriately.
> Can You Correctly Fill In The Blanks In These Ariana Grande Lyrics?
Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, who led the funeral proceedings, hugged Ariana following her performance but many people felt his hand was in an inappropriate position.
What was up with that pastors hand? pic.twitter.com/M8Ypgm7fQB
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) August 31, 2018
Y’all are talking about @ArianaGrande’s dress being too short when we could be talking about this groping and how uncomfortable Ariana is? & the look on his face? Dear Jesus. pic.twitter.com/HO7i9y9WFP
— Nicholas Liddle (@NLiddle16) September 1, 2018
I'm really sorry you had to go thru that @ArianaGrande that groping was beyond blatant and we could all see and feel your discomfort. #NotCool
— Claudia Jordan (@claudiajordan) September 1, 2018
Following the online backlash against him, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III has now publicly apologised to Ariana and spoke to the Associated Press to attempt to clear things up.
He said, “It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast. ... I don’t know I guess I put my arm around her. Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize.”
“I hug all the female artists and the male artists. Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love. The last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.”
Misogyny looks like criticizing Ariana Grande for how short her skirt was— but not the fact that Bishop Charles Ellis gave her a mammogram on national television. 🙄
— Ashlee Marie Preston (@AshleeMPreston) September 1, 2018
Ariana Grande fans quickly started the hashtag #RespectAriana and shared their feelings on the hug, whilst also defending Ariana's dress which many people had described as "too short".
1)Ariana wore a short dress. It doesn't make it INAPPROPRIATE or SLUTTY
— TO FREEDOM!!!🗣✊💣💥💥💫 (@JENRlANAS) September 1, 2018
2)DO YOU KNOW HOW UNCOMFORTABLE AND EMBARRASSING IT IS TO BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN FORNT OF A ROOM OF PEOPLE LET ALONE LIVE TV
3)STOP VICTIM BLAMING. IT'S CRAZY THAT PEOPLE THINK THIS WAY #respectAriana
#RespectAriana is tending worldwide right now because Bishop Charles H. Ellis III was seen inappropriately groping Ariana Grande on live tv during Aretha Franklins funeral.
— 🌹 (@EXOTICBLVCKSKIN) September 1, 2018
Men really need to get their sh*t together pic.twitter.com/AEqr7aAi1m
#RespectAriana
— Elizabeth Flores (@Elizabeth_Flore) September 1, 2018
Disgusted and shocked to see how sexual assault happens in public and for the cameras to show. There is no limit to the aggression and lack of respect that women are still victims of.
FOR YOU, FOR WOMEN, FOR ALL OF US. pic.twitter.com/Q80oFPEAcO
Bishop Charles H. Ellis III also told everyone in attendance that he thought Ariana Grande was actually a new item on the menu at American fast food chain Taco Bell and later apologised for that too.
He said, “I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community. When you’re doing a program for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there.”
At the time of writing, Ariana Grande has yet to comment.
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