Wendy Williams tearfully apologizes after comments that gay men ‘should stop wearing skirts’

Wendy Williams has apologized for offensive comments she made about gay men on her show on Thursday.

On Friday morning the TV host shared a video to her Twitter account saying she  didn’t mean to hurt anyone despite seeming ‘out of touch’ with her words.

Wendy was heavily criticized online after saying men should ‘stop wearing our skirts and our heels’ during the Hot Topics segment of her show.

‘I’ll start by saying I apologize, I did not mean to offend my LGBT+ community.’ Wendy began as she sat in a white robe with her hair and makeup freshly done.

Wendy explained that she watched the show when she got home, as she often does, to critique her performance and the overall production of her show.

‘I’m very persnickety about how I do my show,’ she continued, ‘and one thing I can tell you now is that I never do the show in a place of malice. I understand my platform in the community.’ 

She welled up as she reflected briefly on her long career.

‘I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m just having a conversation. If you know me long enough, then you know … bon vivant, I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds fabulous. In my mind, it means live and let live. Bon vivant. And I live and let live every day.

‘I’m 55 years old and maybe I sounded like your auntie, your mother, big sister or somebody out of touch. I’m not out of touch, except perhaps yesterday for saying what I said. So I deeply apologize and I deeply appreciate the support that I get from the community. I will do better. I appreciate you supporting me. Thank you.’  

Wendy said: ‘One thing I can tell you now is that I never do the show in a place of malice. I understand my platform in the community.’

‘I’m 55 years old and maybe I sounded like your auntie, your mother, big sister or somebody out of touch. I’m not out of touch, except perhaps yesterday for saying what I said.’

Wendy got tearful as she reflected briefly on her long career before saying: ‘I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m just having a conversation.’

On the Thursday edition of her show Wendy began the segment by asking if any of the women in the audience were celebrating Galentine’s Day which is an unofficial holiday created by sitcom Parks And Recreation, which is February 13, and features ‘ladies celebrating ladies.’

She then began to single out a few of the men she saw cheering in the audience: ‘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.’

She didn’t stop there as she made sure to make clear that she was not just singling out straight men but also gay men as she argued they should not have the privilege in participating in the fictional holiday as they do not menstruate.

Ouch: Wendy made the controversial comments regarding gay men during the Hot Topics segment of her show on Thursday

Girl power: Wendy began the segment by asking if any of the women in the audience were celebrating Galentine’s Day which is an unofficial holiday created by sitcom Parks And Recreation which is February 13 and features ‘ladies celebrating ladies’

Wendy explained: ‘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. Just saying, girls, what do we have for ourselves?

‘If you’re a man and you’re clapping, you’re not even a part of this’: The host then began to single out a few of the men she saw cheering before going on the rant

‘I don’t care if you’re gay’: She didn’t stop there as she made sure to make clear that she was not just singling out straight men but also gay men as she argued

‘You don’t get a [menstruation] every 28 days’: She also argued that gay men should not have the privilege in participating in the fictional holiday they do not menstruate

Oops: The audience member’s mood definitely seemed to change as the rant went on

Wow: Then came the most controversial part of the diatribe as she said: ‘And stop wearing our skirts and our heels. Just saying, girls, what do we have for ourselves?’

‘Looky here now, gay men, you’ll never be the women that we are. No matter how gay.’

Several people took to social media to slam the host as one wrote: ‘Oh, Wendy. Your homophobia is showing.’

Another wrote: ‘#WendyWilliams going on an anti #trans rant for no good reason. Whining about periods as though periods are what’s most important about women. Sorry, Wendy. You’re not the decider of who can be a woman. Every person gets to decide who they are. Your input is not welcome.’

‘Your homophobia is showing’: Several people took to social media to slam the host over her comments

It’s the second time Wendy has found herself in hot water for controversial comments in just a month.

The TV personality was slammed for making making fun of Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘cleft lip’ scar.

She said sorry to the cleft community, while encouraging viewers to ‘learn more’.

She also promised to donate money to Operation Smile and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association to help families dealing with the condition.

Saying sorry: Wendy Williams has apologized for cruelly mocking Joaquin Phoenix for the scar on his lip

Her apology came in a reply to Canadian football player Adam Bighill, who had been a vocal critic of the star’s comments. He was born with the condition and whose infant son Beau also has a cleft palate.

Bighill reached out to Wendy for five days before finally getting an apology.

It was sharing a photo of son Beau right before the infant went into surgery which finally seemed to resonate with the hostess.

She replied to his tweet saying: ‘We’re thinking about Beau today as he is in surgery.’

Wendy went on to say: ‘I want to apologize to the cleft community and in Beau’s honor, our show is donating to @operationsmile and @AmerCleftPalate and encourage our Wendy Watchers to learn more and help support the cleft community.’

Bighill forgave Williams on Twitter, responding: ‘Thank you @WendyWilliams for your apology, your donation, and for thinking of Beau today for his surgery. I forgive you, and I encourage others to as well. I wish you all the best.’

Apology: Her apology came in a reply to Canadian football player Adam Bighill, who had been a vocal critic of the star’s comments. He was born with the condition and whose infant son Beau also has a cleft palate.

Rude: Williams found herself in hot water after talking about Joaquin’s ‘oddly attractive’ look. While his beard usually masks the scar, it’s visible in the press photo for Joker above

Wendy’s comments about Phoenix started off innocently enough but then took a strange turn. 

Describing Phoenix as ‘oddly attractive’ she first fawned over his ‘piercing eyes,’ before critiquing a scar on the actor’s upper lip, which is often masked by a beard.

‘When he shaves off his moustache he’s got a hairline fracture,’ she said. ‘He’s got one of those — what do you call it? Cleft lip, cleft palate.’

She then crudely hooked her finger under her lip as if she was suffering from the condition, a common birth defect which happens when the roof of the mouth does not properly fuse together in utero. 

Poor excuse for a joke: ‘When he shaves off his mustache he’s got a hairline fracture,’ she said. ‘He’s got one of those — what do you call it? Cleft lip, cleft palate’

 Really? She then crudely hooked her finger under her lip as if she was suffering from the condition, a common birth defect which happens when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy

The actor has said the mark is a nonsurgical scar he was born with, according to a Vanity Fair cover story from November. 

It is thought Joaquin was born with a ‘microform cleft,’ a mild form of cleft which often doesn’t require surgery, but which leaves a small groove in the upper lip, according to the Cleft Lip and Palate Association.

Outrage against Williams didn’t hit a fever pitch until more than a week after her show aired, with Bighill leading the charge on Twitter.

Awareness: Upon first learning about the clip, Adam Bighill expressed his outrage by getting the word out

No stigma: After five days of tweeting, it was a photo of Beau which finally got Wendy to reply

‘This needs a RT!!!,’ he wrote last Friday. ‘@WendyWilliams mimics a cleft lip and palate person!! I have a cleft lip and palate, so does my son who was just born, her actions are hideous and OFFENSIVE. Promoting bullying, with her platform, that’s IRRESPONSIBLE!! #EndBullying.’  

After five days of tweeting, it was a photo of Beau which finally got Wendy to reply. 

‘Today is Beau’s big day,’ Adam wrote along with a photo of him holding his little guy. ‘He is getting his lip repaired today in Winnipeg by the fantastic Dr. Ross.

‘Thanks to everyone who has reached out, and in advance, thanks for any of your well wishes for Beau. He is so loved! #cleftstrong #1in700 #cleftcutie.’

Plenty of people – celebs and civilians – slammed Wendy for her comments over the past week.

Cher tweeted on behalf of the cleft community, who she has long supported through her volunteer work with the Children’s Craniofacial Association.

Explaining how the stigma of having a cleft lip or palate affects young people she wrote: ‘Before their teens much of the time they are in pain,afraid,but have hope … they will look normal. The [heartbreak] & fear their parents go through is unbearable. 

She went on to tell Wendy she should be ashamed of herself.

Unacceptable: British TV personality Carol Vorderman, 59, spoke out on Twitter, telling Williams her joke was ‘disgraceful’

Apologize! CLAPA Community, the Cleft Lip and Palate Association, called Wendy out

Seriously? One upset user explained why Wendy was out of line