Major celebrities that issued shocking apologies

Apologies are never easy, especially when made under the spotlight. So one can only assume how difficult it would be for stars because when they make mistakes, the whole world watches.

Over the years, some stars have issued apologies after facing backlash. Whether it's in the form of emotional press conferences or long notes shared on social media, they have often tried to make amends in different ways.

These moments remind us that even our favourite stars aren’t perfect.

Here are some celebrities that have come under the spotlight with their apologies:

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin came forward apologizing for his behaviour in an American Airlines flight in 2011.

The actor was removed from the airline’s flight after ignoring and refusing the instructions to turn off his cell phone before takeoff.

The company took to their Facebook page and addressed the situation, "The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language."

According to the airline, The Cat in the Hat actor ignored the seatbelt sign and carried his phone to the bathroom instead of turning it off.

"He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked," the airline stated. After this ordeal, Alec was removed from the flight.

Alec then issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to the passengers, but still argued that the flight attendant unfairly targeted him, asking only him to turn off this phone while other passengers were still using theirs.

"I guess the fact that this woman, who had decided to make some example of me, while everyone else was left undisturbed, did get the better of me," he shared. 

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens sparked major fan outrage after she took to social media to share her thoughts about quarantining due to COVID-19.

During her Instagram Live, the High School Musical alum remarked that deaths from the coronavirus "inevitable" and dismissed the need for a lockdown, calling it "a bunch of bull****."

She fueled more backlash after she doubled down, claiming her words were taken "out of context," before eventually she went on to apologise using the Notes app.

On March 17, 2020, Vanessa’s apology started off with, "I'm so sorry for the way I have offended anyone and everyone."

Wendy Williams

In January of 2020, Wendy Williams came under fire for making strange comments about Joaquin Phoenix.

She described the Joker star as "oddly attractive," and went on to mock what she believed was his cleft lip or cleft palate, which in fact is a birthmark as confirmed by Joaquin.

After the immense outrage, The Wendy Williams Show hot expressed regret and apologised to the 'cleft community' and showed her support by making a donation to Operation Smile and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

Justin Bieber

Pop icon Justin Bieber is quite well-versed in the art of apologising, so much so he even wrote an entire song about it.

In 2015, the Canadian singer took to his Instagram and posted a risqué photo but then quickly backtracked and issued an apology.

"I deleted the photo of my butt on Instagram not because I thought it was bad but someone close to me's daughter followed me and she was embarrassed that she saw my butt and I totally wasn't thinking in that aspect. I felt awful that she felt bad. To anyone I may have offended, I'm so sorry. It was completely pure-hearted as a joke but didn't take into account there are littles following me!"

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway also had to issue an apology back in November 2020, expressing regret for hurt caused to people with limb differences by her role in The Witches.

She portrayed the Grand High Witch in the Roald Dahl adaptation, a character shown with three-fingered hands, similar to the condition ectrodactyly.

The Princess Diaries star took to her Instagram and expressed how she is willing to do better in the future, saying, "Now that I know better I promise I'll do better."

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, faced heavy criticism by disability advocates, who suggested that it reinforced harmful stereotypes about individuals with limb differences.

This outrage caused filmmakers and studio Warner Bros. to also come out with an apology. In a statement, they shared they were "deeply saddened" and "regret any offense caused."

Evangeline Lilly

In March 2020, Evangeline Lilly was also called out for reportedly making insensitive comments during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Taking to her Instagram, the Ant-Man actress shared that she will not be self- isolating because she valued her personal freedom more.

She quickly backtracked and issued an apology 10 days later on March 26 after heavy criticism.

"I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation," she penned.