Lara Spencer has issued an on-air apology for an insensitive comment she made last week about boys who dance. The Good Morning America co-host was hit with immediate backlash after hosting a segment about 6-year-old British royal Prince George’s busy curriculum, which includes ballet lessons, as previously shared by The Inquisitr .
While she initially posted to Instagram to apologize for her “insensitive comment,” on Monday morning, Spencer, 50, looked straight into the cameras as she admitted that she “screwed up” when poking fun at little Prince George’s extracurricular activities. The GMA co-host deemed her comments about dance as “stupid and insensitive” and told viewers she has since spoken with members of the dance community and learned about “the bravery it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance.”
Spencer told the audience that she now hopes to turn her negative comment about the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton into a “teachable moment” as she sat down with celebrated dancers, So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Travis Wall, Joffrey Ballet dancer Fabrice Calmels, and Robbie Fairchild, a New York City ballet dancer who is set to make his movie debut in Cats.
In a Good Morning America pop news segment that aired last week, Spencer paused for audience laughter as she held back her own while reporting that the future king of England is taking ballet lessons. After noting that “Prince William says Prince George absolutely loves ballet,” the GMA star added her own commentary.
“I have news for you, Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts.”
The longtime ABC morning personality was blasted by members of the dance community, including So You Think You Can Dance creator Nigel Lythgoe, who slammed Spencer for feeding into the stigma surrounding male dancers, TV Line reported last week.
Lythgoe noted that his FOX dancing show and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars have “fought the stigma that has been built up over the years by a homophobic, narrow-minded society.” Lythgoe also revealed that his 4-year-old grandson, Leo, loves to dance ballet. Lythgoe later posted a photo of his young grandson at his ballet class and tagged Spencer in it.
Hi @laraspencer I thought you’d like to see my grandson, Leo, in his ballet class. pic.twitter.com/EMw4KvRowJ
— Nigel Lythgoe OBE (@dizzyfeet) August 25, 2019
In addition, Spencer was blasted by Patricia Ward Kelly, the widow of famed actor and dancer, Gene Kelly. Deadline posted an open letter written by the widow of the Singin’ in the Rain star in which she recounted her late husband’s groundbreaking decision to “take on the stigma facing male dancers” by creating and starring in the Omnibus special Dancing, A Man’s Game, which aired on NBC way back in 1958. On the show, Kelly brought sporting stars onto the stage and taught them to dance.
“Gene would be devastated to know that 61 years after his ground-breaking work, the issue of boys and men dancing is still the subject of ridicule—and on a national network,” Ward Kelly wrote. “ABC must do better.”
You can see Lara Spencer’s apology on Good Morning America below.
. @LaraSpencer apologizes for her comments about boys and dance and sits down with 3 celebrated ballet dancers: “It has been a true education for me.” pic.twitter.com/bYJUvVGaXK
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 26, 2019
