Wendy Williams makes tearful apology after saying gay men shouldn’t wear skirts and heels
Wendy Williams cried a single tear as she apologised to the LGBT+ community. (YouTube/The Wendy Williams Show)
Wendy Williams promised LGBT+ fans that she would do better after she offended both gay men and trans women by suggesting skirts and heels were only for people who menstruate.
The outspoken chat show host said she “did not mean to offend my LGBTQ+ community” with her remarks on the Thursday, February 13 edition of The Wendy Williams Show.
The episode in question saw Williams single out a man who clapped for “Galentine’s Day”, and tell him: “I don’t care if you’re gay.
“You don’t get a mensie 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.
Stop wearing our skirts and our heels.
Williams released a tearful YouTube video explaining that she hadn’t realised what offence she had caused until she got home and rewatched the show.
“I’m very pernickety about how I do my show, and one thing can tell you right now is that I never do the show in a place of malice.”
She acknowledged that part of her success is owed to the LGBT+ community which has supported her since her days as a radio “shock jockette”.
“I understand my platform with the community. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings, I’m just having a conversation. If you know me long enough then you know.”
Williams said that she lives by the motto “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 translates roughly to “good living”.
The 55-year-old acknowledged that in criticising the LGBT+ community, she “maybe 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.”
Signing off, Williams said: “I deeply apologise and I deeply appreciate the support that I get from the community. I will do better.”
Williams’ followers were quick to accept the apology, with one noting: “The fact Wendy is apologising says a lot ’cause she never apologises for anything.”
Another added: “I wasn’t offended. I know darn well who Wendy is and I would never think she was a homophobe. Save that energy for people that actually are, like Rush Limbaugh.”
