Fact Check: Neil Patrick Harris Had a Cake Made to Resemble Amy Winehouse's Corpse?

Claim:

Neil Patrick Harris requested a cake made to look like Amy Winehouse's body months after she died.

Rating:

Mixture ( About this rating? )

What's True:

Neil Patrick Harris faced backlash after a photo went viral on social media showing a buffet platter resembling Amy Winehouse's body at a Halloween party he hosted in 2011, three months after her death.

What's False:

The corpse-inspired Halloween dish was not a cake as initially reported, but rather a meat-based creation.

Neil Patrick Harris, known for his roles in "How I Met Your Mother" and "Gone Girl," stirred controversy after a photo revealed what was described as a "cake" resembling the corpse of Amy Winehouse, which he and his then-fiancé, actor and chef David Burtka, served to guests at a Halloween party three months after Winehouse's death in 2011.

The image surfaced again in early 2024 on social media platforms including Reddit , TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). Many commenters condemned the actor for what they perceived as a disrespectful and tasteless portrayal of Winehouse.

Neil Patrick Harris Amy Winehouse Cake Photos
by u/Straight-Drive-823 in wikizone

Because the claim that Harris had a cake made resembling Winehouse contains elements of truth and falsehood, we rate this a "Mixture."

When the image made the rounds on social media in 2022, various news outlets reported the backlash against Harris, with headlines labeling the platter as a " corpse cake " and documenting the public outrage directed at the actor.

"Ohmigod, this is so much worse than I pictured," one person wrote, while another responded, "Yeah it sounds silly, but if ever a cake needed a nsfw warning, it would be this one. It's ghastly. I forgot how horrible it looks."

However, the Halloween dish was not a cake, as initially reported, but rather a meat-based creation. This distinction is crucial in evaluating the accuracy of the claim.

( Chilipepah /Reddit)

The photo depicted a gruesome meat platter inspired by Winehouse, who died in July 2011 at age 27 due to alcohol poisoning. A small handwritten note visible next to the spread read, "The Corpse of Amy Winehouse." The platter consisted of "beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken sausage in a spicy BBQ sauce," according to the note, and was arranged to mimic Winehouse's body, complete with exaggerated facial features, a beehive hairdo and a cigarette sticking out of the mouth.

In 2022, Rolling Stone published an article addressing the controversy, clarifying that the photo depicted a meat platter, not a cake. Also in 2022, Entertainment Weekly published a statement from Harris in which he acknowledged the backlash and apologized for any offense caused by the photo, explaining that the meat platter was part of a Halloween party he hosted alongside Burtka and admitted that the choice of decoration was in poor taste:

"A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago," Harris tells EW in a statement. "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."

Snopes has previously reported on other food-based controversies, including the claim that Bill Gates owns a farm that produces potatoes used in McDonald's french fries , and whether ice sinking in a drink means that it's been spiked .

Sources:

Archive, View Author, and Get author RSS feed. Neil Patrick Harris Photo of Amy Winehouse "corpse Cake" Resurfaces . 13 May 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/05/13/neil-patrick-harris-photo-of-amy-winehouse-corpse-cake-resurfaces/ .

" Https://Twitter.Com/_jepchumba/Status/1767581541746495963." X (Formerly Twitter) , https://twitter.com/_jepchumba/status/1767581541746495963. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

" Https://Twitter.Com/Nypost/Status/1525196856103514112?Lang=en." X (Formerly Twitter) , https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1525196856103514112?lang=en. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Legaspi, Althea. "Neil Patrick Harris Sorry for Serving Platter of Amy Winehouse's Corpse Months After Death." Rolling Stone , 17 May 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-patrick-harris-apologizes-amy-winehouse-corpse-meat-platter-1354559/ .

"Neil Patrick Harris Apologizes for Resurfaced Amy Winehouse Post." EW.Com , https://ew.com/celebrity/exclusive-neil-patrick-harris-responds-resurfaced-amy-winehouse-joke/ . Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Soteriou, Stephanie. "Neil Patrick Harris Is Facing Backlash After A Photo Of His 'Corpse Of Amy Winehouse' Meal Resurfaced Online." BuzzFeed News , 13 May 2022, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniesoteriou/neil-patrick-harris-backlash-amy-winehouse-corpse .

TikTok - Make Your Day . https://www.tiktok.com/@a.a.sweet/video/7360314891732831530?_r=1&_t=8llAzw77EJa . Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Urban, Sasha. "Neil Patrick Harris Apologizes for Mocking Amy Winehouse After Her Death." Variety , 17 May 2022, https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/neil-patrick-harris-amy-winehouse-apology-1235268789/ .

TikTok - Make Your Day . https://www.tiktok.com/@experiment626xs/video/7358242791450791214 . Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.