Wendy Williams is notorious for crossing the line when it comes to speaking her mind. It’s no surprise that she has struck again. After mimicking Joaquin Phoenix’s cleft lip surgery scar, Williams has tweeted an apology and promised to donate to the cause.
The other day, her feud with Howard Stern was rekindled. He made a comment about how she got into the Radio Hall of Fame before him and she took the opportunity to blast him on her talk show.
Since mocking Phoenix’s appearance, Canadian football player Adam Bighill, spoke out about his son’s cleft lip and tweeted asking for an apology.
“Waiting for an apology and donation from @WendyWilliams and since we are still waiting, this campaign has gone viral,” he said. “This campaign/message is all centered around one thing we all agree on, bullying is awful. Thank you all for being a part of the difference #end bullying”
“Today is Beau’s big day. He is getting his lip repaired today in Winnipeg by the fantastic Dr. Ross,” he wrote, on the day of the surgery.
“Thanks to everyone who has reached out, and in advance, thanks for any of your well wishes for Beau. He is so loved!”
Williams specifically addressed Bighill and apologized.
“.@Bighill44 We’re thinking about Beau today as he is in surgery,” Williams wrote. “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.”
“Thank you @WendyWilliams for your apology, your donation, and for thinking of Beau today for his surgery,” [Bighill replied.] (https://twitter.com/Bighill44/status/1217630430138114048)
I forgive you, and I encourage others to as well. I wish you all the best.”
Williams [commented on Phoenix’s appearance] (https://youtu.be/KZFVmLFcxxE) on her show initially calling him “oddly attractive.”
“He played that Johnny Cash. It wasn’t Reese [Witherspoon] who kept me, it was him,” she said.
“He knows how to transform, when he shaves [his beard] off, the way he looks at you,” Williams continued. “And he’s got the good nose that dips way down, like he’s happy with it and so am I.”
“When he shaves off his mustache he’s got a hairline fracture. He’s got one of those — what do you call it — cleft lip, cleft palate,” Williams continued as she pulled up her own upper lip to demonstrate. “He’s got this.”
“I find it to be very attractive,” she said while still holding her lip up.
While Williams has acknowledged that the gesture is offensive and apologized to Bighill, it may behoove her to apologize to the Oscar-nominated actor Phoenix.
