Blake Shelton, after blast from gay-rights group, says he’s sorry for controversial tweet: ‘I love everybody’
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Blake Shelton’s quickly becoming the most lovable judge on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ -- so why are some people claiming that he’s making anti-gay jokes?
The controversy started on Thursday when Shelton tweeted that he was rewriting his favorite Shania Twain song. ‘Any man that tries Touching my behind He’s gonna be a beaten, bleedin’, heaving kind of guy,’ he wrote, in what many people interpreted as a homophobic comment.
Gay-rights group GLAAD demanded that Shelton apologize. ‘No, @BlakeShelton--violent, anti-gay statements are not what a woman wants,’ the group tweeted. ‘Apologize now. #LGBT #gay #thevoice @NBCTheVoice.’
Shelton complied. ‘Hey y’all allow me to seriously apologize for the misunderstanding with the whole rewrite on the Shania song last night,’ he tweeted. ‘It honestly wasn’t even meant that way...I now know that there are people out there waiting to jump at everything I say on here or anywhere.’
‘But when it comes to gay/lesbian right or just feelings...I love everybody,’ he added. ‘So go look for a real villain and leave me out of it.’
He even asked GLAAD for some support: ‘@glaad hey I want my fans and @nbcthevoice fans to know that anti-gay and lesbian violence is unacceptable!!!! Help me!!!! And DM me...’
NBC declined to comment, but reps at ‘The Voice’ vouched for Shelton on Twitter: “@glaad listen to us #thevoice when we tell you that @BlakeShelton is all about love, laughter, music, @AdamLevine and no hate. #teamblake.’
Shelton’s ‘Voice’ cohort Adam Levine also backed him up, writing ‘@blakeshelton what did you go and say now? Don’t sweat it big country. I know you’re a good person. Well…yeah you’re a good person.’
Eventually, GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios praised Shelton for taking ‘the right step in speaking out against anti-gay violence and sending an important message to his fans and viewers of The Voice.’
-- Melissa Maerz