I used to think celebrity apologies were all fake until one actually addressed the harm directly

I was so sure James Gunn's old tweets apology was just damage control back in 2018. But then I saw him in an interview where he didn't just say sorry, he listed the exact jokes he regretted and explained why they hurt people. That specific level of detail made me realize he actually understood what he did wrong. Has anyone else been won over by a public figure who gave a real, detailed apology instead of the usual vague PR statement?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.elliot9d ago

Funny you mention that because I had the same exact shift with a local contractor who screwed up a retaining wall job for a client. He posted a public apology online and instead of the usual "mistakes were made" fluff, he listed every single thing he did wrong - wrong drainage angle, wrong type of block, wrong gravel base. Then he explained why each part mattered. Made me realize a real apology has to name the specific screw ups or it's just noise. That's what Gunn did. When someone says "I made some bad jokes" versus saying "I made jokes about rape and pedophilia and that's not funny no matter who it's about," the second one shows they actually worked through it. Most apologies fail because they're too vague to prove the person even understands the problem.

emma_baker618d ago

Respectfully though, sometimes people just aren't good at talking about their own screwups in detail. A specific apology is great, but it can also feel rehearsed or like they're just trying to check boxes. Doesn't that kind of miss the point if the person still isn't genuine about it?