Bishop Charles H. Ellis III is offering an apology for the way he touched Ariana Grande at Aretha Franklin’s funeral.
The preacher, who officiated the Queen of Soul’s star-studded, eight-hour service on Friday, raised eyebrows when he wrapped his arm around the “Sweetener” singer, repeatedly pressing his fingers into the side of her right breast.
The invasive hand placement didn’t escape the notice of viewers, who took to Twitter to call out Ellis’ behavior with the hashtag #RespectAriana.
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah also called attention to the moment, sharing a zoomed-in video of the onstage interaction, during which Ariana appeared uncomfortable. “What was up with that pastor’s hand?” he tweeted.
Speaking with The Associated Press on Friday night, Ellis shared his regrets for his behavior. “It would never be my intention to touch a woman’s breast. … I don’t know, I guess I put my arm around her,” he said. “Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar, but again, I apologize.”
Ellis then explained that he embraced all of the performers at the service.
“I hug all the female artists and the male artists. Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love,” the bishop said.
“The last thing I want to do is be a distraction to this day,” he added. “This is all about Aretha Franklin.”
Ariana was one of many performers – including Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Yolanda Adams and Chaka Khan – who belted out gospel songs and Aretha’s signature hits in celebration of the late music icon. For her part, the 25-year-old sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
Following her performance, Ellis joked about the pop star’s name, telling the crowd that he originally thought “Ariana Grande” was a new addition to the Taco Bell menu. The bishop also apologized for the comment to The AP.
“I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community,” Ellis told publication late Friday. “When you’re doing a program for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there.”
Access has reached out to Ariana’s representative for comment.
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