Taylor Armstrong has apologized for her controversial comments about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 54, drew criticism on Sunday, February 8, after superimposing her face onto Russell Crowe’s Gladiator character in an Instagram Stories post. She wrote alongside the image, “Were you entertained?? I am embarrassed for the @NFL and Apple for the Super Bowl halftime show totally in Spanish with a Cuban flag!!”
The reality television star, however, has now issued an apology via her Instagram Stories, explaining that she “personally didn’t connect” with the “creative direction” of the halftime performance.
“I want to address my earlier Instagram post about the Super Bowl halftime show. My post did not fully reflect my heart or my respect for the artist and culture as a whole,” Armstrong wrote on Wednesday, February 11.
She continued, “The Super Bowl is such a huge American tradition, and while I personally didn’t connect with the creative direction of this year’s halftime show, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Bad Bunny IS an American and that the Spanish language is a prominent aspect of American culture. Evidently, my lack of awareness of the Latin culture led me to mistaken [sic] the flag as Cuban.”
“I sincerely apologize and plan to learn from this in the future. America is special because people from every culture and background can come here, share their talent, and make their dreams come true. That diversity is something I truly respect,” Armstrong went on.
“My intention was never to offend anyone’s culture or language, and I’m deeply sorry to those who I have hurt. I should have taken more time to reflect on my thoughts instead of impulsively posting misinformation in the moment,” she wrote.
Armstrong concluded, “I apologize to the Latin community and anyone else I may have offended. I’m always learning, always growing, and I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my heart and move forward with more thoughtfulness.”
Armstrong was one of two Bravo Housewives who ignited backlash with their comments about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance on Sunday. The Real Housewives of New York City alum Jill Zarin was fired from an upcoming E! docuseries reuniting the original stars of the hit reality show after sharing similarly divisive comments.
“I just don’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish, and, quite frankly … grabbing his G [groin] area … I think it was totally inappropriate,” Zarin, 62, said in a since-deleted Instagram video. “You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl, and he doesn’t have to be grabbing himself every five seconds because he’s so insecure. Seriously.”
Zarin went on to characterize the performance as looking “like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the entire thing” and criticized guest performer Lady Gaga’s appearance.
On Tuesday, February 10, the production company behind E!’s new show, The Golden Life, confirmed Zarin would no longer film for the much-anticipated RHONY reunion show.
“In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in The Golden Life,” the show’s producers told Us Weekly in a statement. “We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values.”
“They didn’t even give me a chance. … I took it down right away. People make mistakes. I’m human,” Zarin told In Touch after news broke of her firing.
