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Timbaland -

Timbaland came under fire in for commenting that his friend and collaborator, Justin Timberlake, should "put a muzzle on" Britney Spears amid the release of her tell-all memoir. The quote sounds like a resurfaced Tweet from 2010, but no, he said it in 2023. The music producer was taking part in a Q&A at the Kennedy Center of Performing Art on October 29 when the topic of Spears' memoir, 'The Woman in Me,' came up. Timbaland produced Timberlake's 2002 song 'Cry Me a River,' which has long been rumored to be about his breakup with Spears, contributing to rumors that she cheated on him. Spears denies this in her book, stating that it was in fact Timberlake who had been cheating. When Timbaland was asked about the song and Spears' new memoir, he responded, "She going crazy. I wanted to call and say, ‘JT, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl." 

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Timbaland -

Timbaland offered an apology on TikTok following severe backlash, saying, "I'm sorry to all the Britney fans, even to her." He continued, "I'm sorry, because muzzle was—no, you have a voice. You speak what you want to speak. Who am I to tell you what not to speak? And I was wrong for saying that." 

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F. Murray Abraham -

F. Murray Abraham suddenly left his role in the comedy series 'Mythic Quest' in April 2022. Months later, it came to light that the 83-year-old actor was fired following accusations of sexual misconduct on set made by two of his female colleagues. Abraham was reportedly given a warning after the first complaint, but when the show's creator and star Rob McElhenney received a second complaint, Abraham was let go. 

After the news broke, Abraham decided to make a public statement on the matter on April 2023. “This is a sincere and deeply felt apology,” he said in the statement. “Though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people. I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me.”

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Chaka Khan -

Chaka Khan expressed remorse after throwing shade at singers who were ranked higher than her on Rolling Stone's controversial '200 Greatest Singers of All Time' list. She took to Instagram to address the comments she made a week prior on Los Angeles magazine's 'The Originals' podcast and wrote, "Recently, I was asked about a list of the 'greatest singers of all time' and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait." Khan continued, "As artists, we are unfairly put into 'boxes', 'categories' or on 'lists.' Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful." She added, "It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize."

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Jeremy Clarkson to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle -

British columnist Jeremy Clarkson sparked immense backlash after his article in The Sun outright said he hates Meghan Markle and added: "At night, I'm unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her." The 62-year-old broadcaster later shared a statement on Instagram expressing remorse for his words, claiming that he was in a hurry when he wrote it, and that he'd reached out to both Meghan and Harry on Christmas Day to tell them he "was profoundly sorry" for the "disgraceful" language he'd used.

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Jeremy Clarkson - 'Top Gear' -

It could be argued Clarkson also ruined his own apology by giving strange examples of why he's not sexist—including the sexist "jokes" he could have (but didn't) pull on Top Gear—and by revealing his real motivation for the apology, which included "calls for me to be sacked," upsetting ITV and Amazon, and the fact that "More than 60 MPs demanded action to be taken." Clarkson wrote, "I therefore wrote to everyone who works with me," and later turned off comments on his post. He ended the post by drawing attention to the fact that he would soon be a grandfather, which only slightly distracted from the fact that he also mentioned his own daughter "took to Instagram to denounce me" after his offensive article. Clarkson asked in the post, "So can I move on now?" then answered accurately: "Not sure."

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Will Smith to Chris Rock -

Will Smith infamously marched on stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards. The actor took some time away from the public for a few months and returned to Instagram with a lengthy, emotional video in which he apologized to Rock—who Smith said was "not ready to talk"—as well as to his fans whom he disappointed with his actions. Smith explained why he didn't apologize to Rock during his Best Actor acceptance speech and admitted that he was “fogged out" after the slap, but apologized in the video to Rock as well as the comedian's family, specifically his mother and brother Tony Rock. 

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Will Smith to Chris Rock -

On the night of the incident, in addition to apologizing for his behavior in his acceptance speech for the Best Actor award, Smith shared an apologetic post on Instagram. "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable." He continued, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness." He also apologized to the Academy, the show producers, and everyone who witnessed the incident, as well as to the Williams family and the 'King Richard' cast and crew.

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Kevin Smith to Bruce Willis -

Filmmaker Kevin Smith offered a public apology to Bruce Willis for some nasty comments he made about him in the past. He worked with the actor on the 2010 movie 'Cop Out,' and later said that directing him was "soul-crushing." In light of the news that Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a brain disorder that impairs his ability to speak, Smith felt it was time to apologize for his petty remarks. 

"Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan - so this is really heartbreaking to read," Smith tweeted on March 30. "He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an a--hole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family."

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Jane Campion to Venus and Serena Williams -

While accepting the Critics Choice Award for directing 'Power of the Dog' in 2022, Campion decided to compare her professional journey to that of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. Campion said it was “an honor to be in the room with” them, but added, "And you know, Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to."

Backlash immediately ensued, as many called the comment insulting, unnecessary, and ignorant of the misogynoir that the Williams' sisters face.

“I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved,” Campion said March 14 in a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times. “I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world class athletes. The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world,” Campion continued. “The last thing I would ever want to do is minimize remarkable women ... Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you.”

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Rosie O'Donnell to Priyanka Chopra -

Rosie O'Donnell made a TikTok in Feburary 2022 explaining that when she ran into Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra in Malibu, she thought the "someone Chopra" (she couldn't remember Priyanka's first name) was Deepak Chopra's daughter. O'Donnell went up to them and greeted Jonas, then said to Priyanka, "'Hi, I know your dad.' She goes, 'You do? Who's my dad?' And I go, 'Deepak.' She goes, 'No, and Chopra is a common name.'" O'Donnell asked viewers if she was the only one who thought that, and then apologized to Nick and "the Chopra wife." Naturally there was some criticism in the comments, and O'Donnell made a new TikTok on February 22 after learning Priyanka's name and admitting in the caption that she should have Googled it before the video. Then she addressed the comments and clarified that the Indian actress wasn't being rude. "I mean, I'm sure she gets sick of that. I'm sure I'm not the only one... but she's apparently a very well-known actress and more famous than him," she said. "So I'm sure it felt weird to her to begin with." She added, "I just want to apologize to her and to everyone who thought it was really inappropriate of me. Sorry."

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Damon Albarn to Taylor Swift -

Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur and later of Gorillaz, was complimenting Billie Eilish to the LA Times when he added that he's “more attracted” to Eilish’s music than to Taylor Swift’s. The interviewer then hailed Swift as “an excellent songwriter,” and Albarn replied, “She doesn’t write her own songs.” The interviewer said, "Of course she does," and added that she "co-writes some of them," and Albarn replied, “That doesn’t count." Swift herself took to Twitter to respond to his claims. "I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this," she wrote. "I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging." About an hour later, Albarn replied to Swift, saying, “I totally agree with you. I had a conversation about songwriting and sadly it was reduced to clickbait. I apologise unreservedly and unconditionally. The last thing I would want to do is discredit your songwriting. I hope you understand.”

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Snoop Dogg to Eminem -

Rappers Snoop Dogg and Eminem have been in an ongoing feud since Snoop implied in 2020 that the Real Slim Shady was not one of the top 10 rappers of all time.

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Snoop Dogg to Eminem -

In October 2021, during an episode of IGTV's 'Breakfast Club,' Snoop Dogg went public with an apology to Eminem, and the pair seem to have buried the hatchet.

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Snoop Dogg to Gayle King -

Snoop clearly has experience with public apologies. When journalist Gayle King inquired in an interview about a previous sexual assault allegation against Kobe Bryant, Snoop's friend, the latter lashed out at her in a pretty serious way.

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Snoop Dogg to Gayle King -

Although he initially denied having tried to intimidate King, he later issued a full apology for "publicly tearing her down in a derogatory manner," admitting that he should have behaved differently.

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Justin Timberlake to Janet Jackson -

JT has long since been criticized for throwing Janet Jackson under the bus after a "wardrobe malfunction" that led him to expose her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

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Justin Timberlake to Janet Jackson -

He apologized to her in the same 2021 letter where he apologized to Britney Spears for another reason, and admitted that his actions had fallen short and that he had "benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism."

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Kanye West to Taylor Swift -

Kanye West garnered a heap of criticism for his decision to jump on stage and interrupt Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

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Kanye West to Taylor Swift -

The apology that the rapper wrote on his blog shortly after was half-hearted at best, but he did also appear on an episode of 'Leno' and issue an apology that seemed much more genuine.

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Michael B. Jordan to Nicki Minaj -

Nicki Minaj had to educate 'Black Panther' star Michael B. Jordan in early 2021, after he launched a rum brand with the name 'J'Ouvert,' which is also the name of a festival celebrated in the Caribbean that has ties to slavery.

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Michael B. Jordan to Nicki Minaj -

In response to the backlash, the actor took to Instagram to post a public mea culpa. At the same time he confirmed that he would rename the brand.

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Jimmy Fallon to Chris Rock -

The video of Jimmy Fallon wearing blackface to impersonate Chris Rock during an episode of his show from 2000 has resurfaced on numerous occasions over the years.

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Jimmy Fallon to Chris Rock -

It was not until May 2020 that Fallon actually apologized with the tweet, "There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable."

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Terry Crews to Gabrielle Union -

When Gabrielle Union left 'America's Got Talent' amid allegations of "racially insensitive situations," some celebs, such as Debra Messing, came out in support of the star.

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Terry Crews to Gabrielle Union -

Terry Crews was not one of them, however. He simply said he had never experienced racism on the show. He has since apologized publicly to Union on multiple occasions.

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Jimmy Kimmel to Mike Pence -

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel made a dig at former VP Mike Pence in May 2020, when it was alleged that the latter had only pretended to help carry boxes of PPE at a health care center during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Jimmy Kimmel to Mike Pence -

Kimmel was forced to eat his words when it turned that out the video on which those allegations were based was fake. He apologized during an episode of his show, albeit half-jokingly.

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Wendy Williams to Joaquin Phoenix -

TV personality Wendy Williams came under fire in January 2020 for comments she made about Joaquin Phoenix, in particular about the birthmark she thought was his cleft lip/palate.

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Wendy Williams to Joaquin Phoenix -

After she was criticized by fans and fellow celebs alike, Williams issued an apology to the "cleft community" and donated to Operation Smile and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

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Lea Michele to Samantha Marie Ware -

When 'Glee' actress Lea Michele tweeted support for the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020, former co-star Samantha Marie Ware called her out for being a hypocrite, claiming that Michele made her life on the show a "living hell."

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Lea Michele to Samantha Marie Ware -

In response to the accusations, Michele issued a statement suggesting that she felt remorse for "being perceived as insensitive." Whether that counts as an apology or not is up for debate...

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Kailyn Lowry to Demi Lovato -

'Teen Mom' reality TV star Kailyn Lowry apologized to Demi Lovato for using "she/her" pronouns when talking about the singer during a 2021 episode of her podcast, 'Coffee Convos.'

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Kailyn Lowry to Demi Lovato -

Lowry spoke directly to Lovato, asking them to forgive her and to "be patient because I want to do this right, and I want to get everyone’s pronouns correctly."

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Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to Vanessa Morgan -

Creator of 'Riverdale' Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa issued a public apology to actress Vanessa Morgan after she revealed that she was "the only black series regular, but also paid the least."

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Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to Vanessa Morgan -

Aguirre-Sacasa took to Twitter to apologize with the words, "We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. She's right." He also made a promise to do better to honor all actors and characters of color on the show.

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Chrissy Teigen to Courtney Stodden -

When Courtney Stodden went public in 2021 with some nasty messages Chrissy Teigen had sent her back in the day, Teigen took to Twitter to apologize to Stodden.

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Chrissy Teigen to Courtney Stodden -

She wrote, "I have tried to connect with Courtney privately but since I publicly fueled all this, I want to also publicly apologize. I’m so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am."

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Alison Roman to Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo -

In an interview from May 2020, celebrity chef-turned-food columnist Alison Roman criticized the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo for using their popularity to sell consumer goods.

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Alison Roman to Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo -

After she was criticized for the comments, not least for their hypocrisy, Roman issued apologies to both women via Twitter and then released a longer, public note of apology.

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Jen Shah to Brooks Marks -

Star of 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Jen Shah apologized publicly to her co-star's son, Brooks Marks, during an October 2021 episode of the show.

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Jen Shah to Brooks Marks -

She said sorry for "liking" some homophobic tweets about Marks, and although the conversation was very emotional, the two appear to have made amends.

Sources: (Entertainment Weekly) (E!) (New York Post)

See also: Celebs who publicly apologized to their partners

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