Celebrity apologies aren't always what they seem. From lame to overdue, celebrities have offered underwhelming apologies for their mistakes and misdeeds over the years. The latest and most famous of these insincere attempts at redemption is rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. It seems like not a day goes by when Combs isn't in the news these days. A string of women have come forward with allegations of abuse, perhaps most famously after Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, settled a federal lawsuit against Bad Boy Records executives last November. However, it wasn't until mid-May of this year that Diddy attempted to apologize or acknowledge Cassie's allegations.
Recently, CNN obtained a 2016 video of the music mogul repeatedly assaulting Cassie at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Finally, a celebrity apology from Diddy has been made public. He claimed on Instagram that he was at “rock bottom” at the time. He also said that he has since gone to therapy and entered rehab. Instagram users slammed the “I'll Be Missing You” rapper, saying that “until just a week ago, Diddy was denying the accusations” and “you are not a victim.” Cassie's lawyer Meredith Firetog also released a statement about the apology, calling it “insincere” and an act of “pathetic desperation.” Of course, this is just the latest in an ongoing pop culture spectacle known as “questionable celebrity apologies.” Let's take a look at five examples of celebrities offering condolences that have raised eyebrows and sparked further backlash.
Read more: 11 Times Rappers Have Apologized — J. Cole, Soulja Boy, Cam'ron, and More
Shia LaBeouf has repeatedly plagiarized
Shia LaBeouf is used to being criticized. In fact, he once put a paper bag over his head on a red carpet. But in 2012, Even Stevens The actor is starring in a short film he produced himself called “ howardkantour.comAlthough initially very well received by fans and critics, shortly after its release, the film was revealed to be a rip-off, with cartoonist Dan Clowes coming forward to reveal that the film copied many of his comic book plots and lines. Justin M. Damiano.
LeBoeuf issued a bizarre apology in a series of tweets, first saying that in the heat of excitement and creativity he “failed to properly attest” and finally admitting that he “screwed up.” Perhaps the strangest thing about this whole thing is that LeBoeuf's apology was itself later discovered to have been plagiarized from a Yahoo! Answers forum, sparking further investigations of plagiarism and continuing doubts about LeBoeuf's work.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis take turns
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis rose to fame on the wildly popular sitcom. That 70s ShowOne of their former co-stars, Danny Masterson, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault last May. Kutcher is known as the co-founder of Thorn, an NGO that fights against human trafficking. That's one of the reasons why the media found it odd when it was revealed that he and Kunis had written a letter to the judge in support of Masterson. They praised him as a great person. Amid the ensuing public outcry, Kutcher and Kunis made an apology video. Their disheveled behavior and awkward tone came across to viewers as very insincere and uncaring.
Will Smith apologizes to Chris Rock
Who can forget when Will Smith stood up and slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March 2022? The moment was so bizarre and surreal. Rock had made a somewhat insensitive comment about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett's alopecia. Less than an hour later, Smith won the award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in Star Wars: Episode I: A New Hope. King RichardSmith used the opportunity to publicly apologize for what happened, but not explicitly to Rock himself; he claimed he was “in a fog at the time.” Of course, this led to heavy criticism, and Smith eventually released a six-minute apology video on his YouTube channel, stating, “There's no part of me that thinks that's the best way to deal with disrespect.”
Read more: Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's past comments resurface after reported breakup
Mario Batali apologizes and offers cinnamon rolls
Over the years, renowned chef Mario Batali has created a variety of Food Network show, and as a continuing member. A.B.C.of KissBut it all came crashing down when Batali was fired in 2017. Kiss Batali was criticized for this incident due to multiple allegations of misconduct with women. Batali later apologized for his actions in his email newsletter and said he “takes full responsibility.” However, strangely, Batali published a recipe for cinnamon rolls immediately after apologizing. This rash decision was heavily criticized and ridiculed in the media.
Logan Paul in Aokigahara, Japan
Social media influencer, professional boxer and wrestler Logan Paul has been forced to make several public apologies over the last few years. But perhaps his most famous and ridiculous apology came after he filmed himself in the Aokigahara forest near Mount Fuji in Japan, an area notorious for a string of suicides over the years. Paul filmed the body and his reaction, shocking viewers, which reverberated with unbelievable disrespect and insensitivity.
Paul quickly issued several apologies, explaining that the entire video was made as a response to his own psychological issues, and that he was trying to raise awareness about mental health in general. No one took these various statements seriously, and he became the target of (mostly deserved) ridicule. (He was also the subject of a $3 million lawsuit based on a Google licensing deal that fell apart after the Mori video.)
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