Neil Patrick Harris issued an apology after photographs of an offensive joke he made about singer Amy Winehouse leaked online just months after her untimely death. The incident happened 11 years ago but it is only now that that actor is owning up to it and apologizing. Many feel this is because he is at risk of being cancelled.
In the images, which were taken in October 2011 at a Halloween-themed party held by Harris and his partner David Burtka, a meat and cheese buffet titled "The Corpse of Amy Winehouse" was designed to resemble a decomposing body.
The image was first published in a deleted tweet by Justin Mikita, the husband of Jesse Tyler Ferguson and a party guest. It was then retweeted by an author who expressed shock over it, which quickly went viral.
Now, the 48-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly he regretted the effort at humor.
Harris added in his statement: "A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago. It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I'm sorry for any hurt this image caused."
Winehouse rose to prominence in the early 2000s with soulful singles such as "Rehab" and "Valerie." Her death was officially linked to alcohol poisoning in July of 2011.
According to British coroner Suzanne Greenway, Winehouse's "accidental death" was caused by her having nearly five times the legal limit of alcohol in her bloodstream at the time of her death.
Winehouse won five Grammys for her 2008 album Back to Black, and since her death at age 27, she has been considered regarded as one of the greatest performers in mainstream music.
The meal from the 48-year-old "How I Met Your Mother" star's party went viral on Tuesday after author Ashley Reed tweeted about it.
"I cannot believe how many very online people over the age of 25 are just now finding out about Neil Patrick Harris's disgusting Amy Winehouse cake," the tweet from Reed, who has since switched her account to private, read.
Despite the fact that she has already set her account to private, numerous individuals have read her statements and made them go viral.
On Twitter, fans voiced their dismay over the resurfacing of the photos. After the incident was posted, users in a subreddit for the mystery gossip blogger Deuxmoi discussed Harris' party foul.
Many wondered not just what happened to Amy Winehouse for her to be treated that way, but also what was wrong with Neil Patrick Harris, whose behavior was, at the very least, unpleasant, disrespectful, and repulsive. Some have stated that the article has dissuaded them from seeing any of the actor's works, including Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."