10 Karen Apologies That Made the Situation WORSE

Times Karen Apologies Made the Situation Worse

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining our picks for infamous moments when rude and entitled folks’ apologies only made things worse. Insincerity or variations on “I’m sorry if you’re offended” don’t hack it, Karen.

Using all the Slurs

Starting out on YouTube and then TikTok in 2019, Isabella Avila, under the name “OnlyJayUs,” became very popular with psychology videos touching on subjects like lucid dreams. But in 2021, leaked messages from Avila came out that contained racist and homophobic slurs, followed by accusations that Avila ghosted Black creators. Some 450,000 people signed a petition to have Avila removed from TikTok. Avila responded with an apology video, which was criticized for being scripted and disingenuous. In it, Avila promised to promote Black creators. However, a couple of months later, TikTokers like “auntkaren0” claimed Avila didn’t stick to the promise and ghosted her.

Robin!

You gotta love it when an apology comes with a bad excuse for their terrible behavior. In 2020, hair stylist Sharon Spellman was about to pass her client Robin on to her assistant Alex for the next phase in her hair treatment. Well, Robin, who had previously made disrespectful comments about Hispanic people, didn’t want Alex, who is Hispanic. Spellman tried to reason with her client, but Robin got angry and tried to hit the hairdresser. Immediately, Spellman told her to leave. Robin offered a lame apology, claiming she has a lot of stress and a lot of pressure from her daughter, as if that justifies hitting people. Of course, this didn’t work, and Robin was removed.

Disrespecting the Lost

Given the often terrible history between the British and the Irish, anyone filling the UK government position of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland needs both sensitivity and a thorough grasp of the facts. Instead, Theresa May appointed Karen Bradley. In 2019, when discussing the Troubles, a decades-long conflict in Ireland, she stated that slayings made by the police and British army at the time weren’t crimes. People in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were livid at the comments. While Bardley apologized on TV, relatives of those who lost their lives stated it was too little, too late. There were also calls for her to resign. While Bradley didn’t, she lost her job during a reshuffle shortly after.

Not Gleeful

It all started with a 2020 social media post supporting #BlackLivesMatter by actor and singer Lea Michele. This sparked her “Glee” co-star Samantha Marie Ware to accuse her of terrible behavior on the set of the TV show, including racism. Other former colleagues, such as Heather Morris and Alex Newell, also came forward to criticize Michele’s hostile attitude. In response, she made a public apology on social media. However, Ware felt that it came across as an empty apology in which the actress didn’t accept responsibility. Even a year later, the “Glee” cast continued speaking about Michele’s toxic behavior on set.

Fallen Footballer

At one point, Mason Greenwood was seen as the potential leading light for Manchester United and the England football team. But then, in 2022, his partner released horrific evidence online of his abuse, including an incriminating voice recording. While Greenwood was arrested, the case was later dropped as key witnesses withdrew and the prosecution didn’t have strong enough evidence for conviction. In August 2023, after United and Greenwood agreed to part ways. In his statement, instead of apologizing, Greenwood tried gaslighting people by claiming he was cleared of all charges. That wasn’t the case, and it angered people further. Since then, Greenwood has been loaned to Spanish side Getafe.

Real Estate Racism

In 2020, Sandeep Kumar and Ritu Devi Sharma left their property in Perth, Australia. Instead of getting their bond back, real estate company Mavin Real Estate took a portion of it for “cleaning fees.” This caused a dispute for several months between the parties. In 2021, the director of the company, Bronwyn Pollitt, sent a racist, passive-aggressive email to the pair in which she slated Indian culture and called the country “filth.” A few weeks later, Pollitt sent an apology email to Humar and Sharma, stating the infamous non-apology phrase, “I apologize if you believe I have been racist against you,” and claiming it wasn’t her intent. In 2023, Pollitt had her real estate license suspended by a tribunal for eight months.

Ukulele Apology

It’s not every day that an apology for one terrible accusation opens up a can of worms for other grim incidents. But then again, not everyone is Colleen Ballinger. In 2023, after allegations of her being inappropriate with a young fan came out, the Miranda Sings performer released a bonkers apology video while she played the ukulele. Unsurprisingly, the apology fell very, very flat as it was heavily condemned for being unserious. Soon after, historical clips of Ballinger’s work resurfaced. In one, she did a distasteful racist parody of PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” where she mumbles Asian words. In another, Ballinger, while cosplaying as Elphaba from “Wicked,” wore dark green face paint and performed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” on stage. Yikes.

Buzz Lightyear Says a Slur

It’s weird how so many comedians who criticize political correctness in the medium seem determined to use slurs without repercussions. In a 2013 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Tim Allen talked about how he’s not racist, so it shouldn’t matter if he uses one particular slur and that euphemisms for the word are worse. Allen then used said slur multiple times throughout. He claimed being called the word by Black people but not being allowed to say it later is “confusing to the European mind.” Yikes. When the backlash mounted, Allen put out a brief non-apology, saying if anyone was offended, it wasn’t his intention. Even years later, Allen’s view and apology are still being denounced.

Home Depot Karen

Most explanation videos after a controversial incident tend to delve into the reasoning behind their actions or an apology for what transpired. But not Amanda Marie Keshner, who goes by “ArtVanGrow” online. In 2022, the self-described influencer told her story after a confrontation with Home Depot staff. In her video, she freely divulges that she used racial and homophobic slurs at staff, telling them to go back to their own country before they kicked her out of the store. When the backlash rolled in for Keshner, she attacked the criticism. She released several videos, often giving sarcastic apologies and being aggressive with those who were offended by her actions. It was bonkers.

Pier 1 Cougher

When the pandemic was frightening everyone, Karens stepped up to the plate to make things worse. In 2020, at a Pier 1 store in Jacksonville, Florida, Debra Hunter was verbally berating staff. When she saw she was being recorded by another customer, Heather Sprague, she flipped the bird and coughed in the face of Sprague, a cancer patient. Hunter was arrested soon after. During her sentencing, she handed in a letter to the judge and gave a virtual testimony. In both, Hunter focused on how the situation had affected her and her family, barely apologizing to Sprague. After being heavily criticized by the judge for this, Hunter was sentenced to 30 days in jail, an anger management course, six months of probation, and fined $500.

Have you ever had to apologize for something and it fell flat? Let us know about it below!