Controversial television host Wendy Williams has apologized to the LGBTQ community for comments she made about gay men on Thursday’s edition of her daytime talk show.
The apology is coming a day after the 55-year-old told gay men to “stop wearing [women’s] skirts and our heels” on The Wendy Williams Show.
“I’ll start by saying I apologize. I did not mean to offend my LGBTQ+ community on yesterday’s show,” Williams began.
She said her comments did not come from “a place of malice.”
“I’m very persnickety about how I do my show and one thing that I can tell you right now is that I never do this show in a place of malice.
“I understand my platform with the community; from first grade to intermediate school to high school to college to radio and now to TV. And I didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings,” she said, holding back tears. “I’m just having a conversation.”
“If you know me long enough, then you know bon vie von — I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds fabulous. In my mind, it means live and let live. Bon vie von. And I live and let live every day; life is too short,” said Williams.
“I’m 55 years old, and maybe I sounded like your auntie, your mother, your big sister or somebody out of touch. I’m not out of touch, except for perhaps yesterday by saying what I said.
“So I deeply apologize and I deeply appreciate the support that I get from the community,” she said. “I will do better. I appreciate you supporting me. Thank you.”
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During the Thursday show, Williams asked who in her audience would be going out for Galentine’s Day; the unofficial holiday sparked by Parks & Recreation centred around women celebrating the other women in their lives.
Williams noticed that some men in the crowd were applauding and said, “If you’re a man and you’re clapping, you’re not even a part of this. You don’t understand the rules of the day. It’s women going out and getting saucy and then going home. You’re not a part.
“I don’t care if you’re gay. You don’t get a [menstruation] every 28 days. You can do a lot that we do; but I get offended by the idea that we go through something you will never go through.
“And stop wearing our skirts and our heels,” she continued, referencing the trend of gender-fluid fashion, made popular by stars like Billy Porter. “Just saying, girls, what do we have for ourselves?”
“Looky here now, gay men; you’ll never be the women that we are,” Williams said. “No matter how gay.”