Most Famous Celebrity Apologies

I don't know what it is about being a celebrity that makes the rest of the world think that it has a right to inquire about the most intimate, and sometimes the most trivial of details concerning said celebrity's personal life. While many celebs do run for office, I find it strange that we as a society apply the same "rules" to being rich and famous as we do to being a politician. Keeping that in mind, it certainly is plausible to identify those persons who break the law and/or endanger the lives of others. But it seems that celebrities now, more than ever are finding themselves in front of cameras offering tearful and heartfelt apologies for all sorts of offenses. The latest famous hotshot to join the ranks of the apologetic is Sienna Miller. AssociatedContent producer Dana Hackley delves into Ms. Miller's ill-mannered comments in her recent article titled "Pittsburghers Pity Sienna Miller." Sienna later apologized about her inappropriate footnotes regarding the city, stating that they were taking out of context. But this public acknowledgement is only the tip of the iceberg where public celebrity apologies are concerned. In reality, the celeb plea for forgiveness is quite commonplace these days.

SLEAZY SEXUAL PREDATORS?-

Perhaps the first really interesting incident of celebrity scandal that I can recall, involved Hugh Grant. According to police, officers on the Sunset Strip identified a man soliciting the skills of a street-walker - in his car, which was parked off a side street. The oafish actor was pinpointed in this act of disgrace with a Hollywood prostitute by the name of Divine Brown (aka Estella Marie Thompson). Instead of waffling over the details or attempting to sneak his way into better graces, Hugh went for the direct apology-and promptly flew home to England to confess to girlfriend at the time, Elizabeth Hurley. The world found this incident more amusing than anything. To audiences, Grant was just another actor caught with his pants down (pun intended). His career went on, and no one has thought the better of it since it occurred in 1995.

RACIST BALL PLAYERS?-

In 2000, Atlanta Braves' baseball player, John Rocker underwent heavy fire for comments that he made concerning his visit to New York City. A Sports Illustrated article cites him mentioning his aversion to sitting next to a "queer with AIDS" on a subway train. He apologized for his remarks. But his opinions were even shined upon his own teammates, one of which he's called a "fat monkey." Rocker pleaded with fans and the public alike, to recognize that his comments were not to be taken personally. But the damage had already been done. I question why the world would want an apology for feelings that the man will probably carry close to his heart for the rest of his life.

THEY'RE "EXHAUSTED"?-

Cocaine Kate, also known as supermodel Kate Moss issued public words of regret after she was revealed in a video, snorting at least 5 lines of cocaine. Shortly after the revelation, many of her contracts and campaigns were either cancelled or dropped. She told the world that she "took full responsibility for her actions..." but didn't actually admit to taking the drugs. Following her apology, she shuffled quickly to a rehab center. And miraculously, she acquired more work than she could handle. No one thought much of it when in 1998, Kate checked herself into a clinic for "exhaustion." She later admitted that she'd really checked in because of drinking and drug-taking prior to a runway show. And while the modeling industry is certainly known for its indulgence in the world of vices, this time the dirty truth could not be easily concealed.

THEY'RE WACKY?-

If ever there was a set of actions which soaked up too much air-time, it's the controversy surrounding Tom Cruise and his hare-brained antics in the public eye. Shortly after becoming attached to Katie in 2005, Tom was filmed on the Oprah Winfrey show doing an impromptu "tap dance" on her studio sofa. However, this isn't the behavior which caused his lips to form the words "I'm sorry." It is his stream of comments aimed at Brooke Shields regarding his Scientology beliefs. He ridiculed her for taking prescription medication to combat post-partum depression. The retraction came later in 2006, when Cruise apologized in person for his behavior. Though Cruise opted against a public podium from which to lodge his apologetic campaign, news of it flew across the airwaves like wildfire. It should also be noted, that Tom Cruise's stance on the use of anti-depressants has still remained unchanged.

JEW-HATING ACTORS?-

I believe no actor has caught more heat from the public than Mel Gibson, for his July 2006 drunken rants about Jewish people. According to reports, Mel went on a drinking binge, which ended with him being arrested for a DUI. While that in and of itself is commonplace in Hollywood, it was his mouthful of "slurs" which really got him into celebrity status trouble. His statement that "Jews are responsible for all the wars of the world…" stirred so much attention that his face was plastered across every news story, talk show, and satirical spoof on television. What brought significant attention to the incident was Mel Gibson's brush with controversy following his 2004 film, "The Passion of the Christ." Via an apology orchestrated through his publicist, Mel claimed that he was not an Anti-Semite, and told the Jewish community that he was sorry. It is argued that Mel's indulgence in the booze caused his lips to loosen-thus the spewage of what many call, his true thoughts and feelings.

Celebrities have it rough. They have to suffer the pains which go along with losing their anonymity. They have to worry about their personal safety concerning all the stalkers and weirdoes in the world. And apparently, they also have to deal with the plights of losing their popularity when they do things their fans frown upon. But the apologies themselves should be questioned. If a famous person issues racial slurs, does a public retraction erase the fact that they may in fact be a secret bigot? Does a tiny stint in rehab excuse years of abuse done to one's body and/or career? And since when do the opinions of the rich and famous contribute to fate of the country? Until society is ready to honestly answer these questions, in the future - we will probably find celebrities apologizing for buying the wrong brand of cereal.