Ariana Grande once apologized for the infamous donut gate controversy in 2015. In July of that year, following the publication of CCTV footage of Grande at a donut shop, the Sweetener singer made headlines for her bizarre behavior.
Grande found herself mired in scandal after a video surfaced depicting her licking doughnuts and making demeaning remarks towards America. This happened at Wolfee Donuts in Los Angeles on July 4, 2015, as Grande, joined by her friends and then-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez, could be seen giggling and licking several doughnuts while smooching Alvarez inside the shop.
In the video, Grande was caught licking donuts placed on a tray on the countertop in front of her. She was saying, “I hate Americans. I hate America” in the clip. Four days later, TMZ leaked the footage and it went viral and sparked much backlash.
Following the criticisms, Grande posted a public apology, saying that her comments were taken out of context. As per BBC, she stated, “I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I’ve always made it clear that I love my country.”
She added, “What I said in a private moment with my friend, who was buying the doughnuts, was taken out of context… I am sorry for not using more discretion with my choice of words.”
Grande was upset over “how freely we as Americans eat and consume things.” She also appeared on Good Morning America to apologize for her behavior, which later registered as a much-talked-about pop culture moment among her fans.
According to Grande, she had made the statements as a way of expressing frustration regarding the reckless consumption of food in America. The concern was not with the amounts but the lack of proper thought put into how people consume.
Ariana Grande also took to YouTube to apologize for her previous apology, which did not sit well with a lot of X, then known as Twitter, users. The viral clip hit over 9.6 million views.
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